Of Lightning Bolts, Half Ghosts & Time Pieces
by Twin Kats
Summary: Sequel to Boredom & Clockwork. / Boredom & Clockwork don't mix very well; this is something Danny is just now learning. It all involves adoption, an   unknown twin, and a hidden community. Oh, Clockwork too, of course. / HP&DP crossover
1. Prologue: Bonds

**Of Lightning Bolts, Half Ghosts & Time Pieces  
**_By Twin Kats  
__**Beta'd By 1337kitsune**_

_Prologue  
_**Bonds**

Hogwarts had been buzzing with the news of the Tri-Wizard Tournament ever since the start of the school year on September 1st. The rumors and various schemes of entering that students had begun to cook up had only grew more elaborate and wilder when the delegations from Beaubatons and Durmstrang arrived to settle in on the 14th.

Harry and his friends were quite content however to stay as far away from the rumors parading around all the Houses as they could. Today, like often this past week and previous school years when the gossip of the school grew too large to handle, Harry and his entourage were settled out by the small, lonely tree near the lake. The only tree that wasn't near the Forbidden Forest shoreline, which many had aptly named the Potter tree due to the strange attraction each generation of Potter seemingly held for it.

Harry himself was leaning against the trunk of the tree, going over his Defense notes with Hermione who sat right beside him in the shade. Ron was dozing off on Harry's right while Neville was tutoring Pavarti and Lavander in Herbology closer to the lake's edge. On the other side of the tree sat Ginny with Luna and the Creevey brothers. Dennis was getting help on his Potions work while the three second years were going over lecture notes from one of Harry's history lectures. Off to the side sat the Weasley Twins plotting something or other and nearby Ron sat Seamus and Dean playing Exploding Snap, which was starting to disturb a certain Weasley's nap.

The rather large group of friends hadn't, of course, started out as friends from the very start, what children do? For that reason there was a certain group dynamic that all of Hogwarts could even tell was followed. Harry was quite obviously the leader and glue that kept everyone close-nit and together. It was through him that all of them had became friends in the first place! Directly below in what most of the students dubbed the 'chain of command' was Ron, Hermione, and Neville, who had been the first of Harry's age to even befriend the boy.

Harry remembered those moments fondly, back when he was a tiny eleven year old brimming with curiosity about a world he'd never even heard of! Granted a strange eleven year old, but while Harry's unique-Harry-ness, as Fred and George once put it, was a bit off-center the group wasn't really bothered by it anymore.

Ron had been the first to meet the young Potter, entering and sharing a compartment with him. When Neville and Hermione had dropped by searching for a certain vanishing toad, Harry hadn't even glanced at them before uttering the toad's location and then sending them a sort of half-smirk mixed with a grin and inviting them to sit down.

Hermione of course had launched into full-blown resource mode the minute she learned Harry's name (Neville and Ron settled for gaping spectacularly for a minute) but Harry quickly put a stop to that. The foursome quickly settled down into a strange question and answer session afterward.

Lavender, Pavarti, Seamus and Dean were next to join the group, being in the current foursome's age group. By mid-year the Gryffindor year-mates were all joining Harry out by the lake, listening to him retell tales he'd read in books from History. Many of the teachers, and even students, were surprised at the young Potter's knack for History and storytelling. These sessions quickly began to be rotated with Hermione tutoring Transfiguration, Neville Herbology, and Lavender and Pavarti Charms.

The Weasley Twins didn't join the group until towards the end of the school year. When asked why they didn't join the famous Potter group sooner, the reason they gave was because they were distracted by all the mischief they had planned for that year.

Colin Creevey was next to join the now not-so-little group, telling tales about his brother Dennis and the excitement of being a wizard. The entire group felt for Colin when he'd been Petrified and had worked hard to discover the monster and help their slowly dwindling number. When it came out that Harry was a Parslemouth there was dissension for about a day before the group seemed to re-right itself with Harry now as a deputy and Neville as the lead showboat. They didn't try to squash the rumors of Harry going dark but instead counteract them with Lavender, Pavarti, and occasionally Padme's help.

Through the middle of Harry's second year Luna Lovegood joined the group. Harry had taken the strange young girl under his wing, shielding and protecting her from the cruelty of her own House. The small Ravenclaw had been brought to his attention by the ever elusive Padme Patil.

That year came to a close with a young Ginny Weasley joining into the fray, besotted by the Potter and all her new friends.

To Hogwarts, the whole group seemed to settle after that. No new students appeared to join in, except this year when young Dennis Creevey showed up for his first year of Hogwarts. He was quickly pulled into the Potter fold by his older brother and as such was welcome with open arms.

Now it was the Tri-Wizard Tournament taking place at Hogwarts. Beaubatons and Durmstrang were settling in and settling down for the long haul as preparations for the Goblet of Fire to be lit at the end of the month were being made; rules and guidelines for the Tournament were being finalized as well.

All in all it was a very hectic start for a school year, and with all the gossip and chatter going on around, Harry's group had taken to spending time in the warm Autumn weather out by the lake more than usual.

The day itself, a Friday, was very peaceful. Beaubaton and Durmstrang students were milling about the grounds with others from Hogwarts, relaxing during their breaks. The sun was partially shining from behind the white and fluffy clouds while the air was at the perfect temperature. Not too hot nor too cold, but just right to relax in.

An occasional breeze shifted through, almost lazily. However, there was a thin layer of anticipation hanging in the air, as if waiting for something. It could have been the fact that it was Hermione's birthday, and that she was now fifteen. Or it could have been something else entirely.

Which was why, as it was nearing time for the Gryffindor fourth years to be packing for Charms, it was so surprising when the peaceful air was broken rather abruptly by a crack of thunder followed by a hoarse scream.

* * *

Harry had just started to pack away his papers when the first shudder hit him. It was almost as if he had been lightly zapped by a pleasant, tingling feeling. That light jolt, however, quickly turned into a raging torrent. The fourteen year old boy gripped his stomach, grit his teeth, and curled in on himself. By this point his entire group of friends had realized something was wrong.

Neville had barked out quick orders for the younger years to get a teacher. Colin, Dennis, and Ginny immediately raced off. Luna stood frozen, staring at the young Potter with wide and almost unseeing eyes. Ron was jolted fully awake by Seamus and Dean who were then told to get Madam Pomfrey; the Weasley Twins were setting up small wards around the area by now while Ron, Hermione and Neville _tried_ to get close to their friend but something (a crackling, glowing, green energy) appeared to be holding them back.

Lavender and Pavarti quickly began helping the Weasley Twins in setting up a perimeter, waiting with bated breath for a teacher, _anyone_, to arrive.

That was when the first scream tore through the air, quickly followed by another and another until it was just one continuous yell. The sky above seemed to almost mimic Harry's pain as the clouds began to darken and thunder roared above.

The teacher's, thankfully, finally arrived just as Harry's eyes rolled up and the crackling green energy around him which was obscuring him, began to die down. Only, as the last vestiges keeping the group away from Harry vanished, it didn't seem to be Harry who collapsed, unconscious, and _smoking_ on the ground.

In Amity Park a young Danny Fenton was just stumbling out of the Fenton Ghost Portal, smoking and twitching, but looking none the worse for wear. That was, except for the white hair, glowing green eyes, and inverted jumpsuit...

* * *

_**ONWARDS TO THE AUTHORS NOTE!**_

_Yup, you guys read that first bit right. So for those of you who are wondering if this is the start of the sequel to __**Boredom & Clockwork**__. You can probably guess just what is going on. For others who were wanting a fully written out __**Merlin**_ _and __**Danny Phantom **__crossover, sorry. I will however contain references to things that happened in this! And who knows, I may write one eventually._

_And there will be other minor crossovers too, if you really must know._

_Also for the changes to the Harry Potter fandom don't worry. I'll probably be posting up a drabble/snippet series about this versions Harry's life and times at Hogwarts up until this point. Also Amity Park and the Danny Phantom characters won't be showing up for a while yet. It'll be a bit of a slow start._

_For those also who want to know timeline facts here they are:_

_**I've shifted the Harry Potter universe to be more in tune with the Danny Phantom one**__._

_The timeline for Danny Phantom that I've settled on choosing is as follows:_

_**Mystery Meat**_ _takes place October 19th 2005; the accident has been placed on September 19th 2005. I've decied on the year 2005 for the sstart of Danny Phantom because of one scene in the show that takes place in later episodes that I guestimated would be in the year 2006. If you want an exact reference drop a review and I'll give it to you._

_The episode __**Master of All Time**_ _is when I consider the start of Danny's summer vacation to take place. This is in the year 2006._

_That is, quite literally, all you need to know Danny Phantom wise as any point after __**Master of All Time**_ _can be considered AU. The Harry Potter universe is entirely AU. Ages and dates have been shifted to accomadate with the change in year. I am however actually keeping the calendar style of the year 1994 for Harry Potter just because it's easier than re-fitting everything to 2006 calender which I would have to hunt one down while meanwhile I have a ready-made fan 1994 HP calender. You choose the lesser of two evils there...on that note birthdays and such are changed as follows:_

_**Hermione**_ _September 19th 1990  
__**Harry**_ _July 31st 1991  
__**Ron **__March 1st 1991  
__**Neville **__July 30th 1991  
__**Ginny**__August 11th 1992  
__**Fred & George**_ _April 1st 1989_

_These are the ones you should note. Every other Harry Potter character will follow their example. Basically up the date by 11 years. Danny, Tucker and Sam are 14. Jazz is 16. Those ages remain the same._

_Enjoy!_

_**Beta's Notes :**_Sorry all. This would have been up sooner, but you can blame TK for that. See, this was sent to me the 4th, but I hadn't checked my mail because I was too busy watching Merlin. Which TK got me addicted too! I'M SORRY! IT WAS JUST SUCH A GOOD SHOW AND I FORGOT TO CHECK MY INBOX! Don't kill me... I'll be quicker next time! I promise!

_Liar._

SHUT UP KIT!

Michee out!

_TK: Please understand this beta'd chapter would have been up earlier if FFN wasn't going through a bitchfest of errors right now on the upload page. Thanks to **Shitsumeishi** I learned a trick to get around this. Change the word "property" in your address bar to "content" Supposedly this error is affecting stories that are in categories over 40,000 stories in length. Explains why only **nine** of my fics were able to be edited..._


	2. Chapter 1: Dead

**Of Lightning Bolts, Half Ghosts & Time Pieces  
**_By Twin Kats  
__**Beta'd by 1337Kitsune**_

_Chapter One  
_**Dead**

A pained grunt was heard as the boy laying on the crisp hospital sheets came back to the world of the waking. His whole body ached and his head was starting to throb crazily as sluggish eyes blinked open slowly. He could barely make out the white walls and uncomfortable-looking beds in his hazy vision. The Hospital Wing? He let out another groan and shifted around in his own bed.

Only to fall off and faceplant on cold, hard stone.

"Ow..." he mumbled, reaching one hand up to shakily grasp the bed sheets. His other hand joined the first and he slowly pulled himself up until he was standing, albeit wobbly. Why did it suddenly feel as if he hadn't used his legs in _centuries_?

With a slight shake of his head (_ooh, that really hurt..._) he slowly started to weakly, and drunkenly too, (though how he knew _that _was a mystery) make his way across the room. If he remembered right there should be a bathroom (and if his mind weren't so fogged he would have wondered just _how_ he knew this in the first place) right _there._

He smacked head first into the door. Of course it had been right there.

Grunting he pushed the thick door open and stumbled inside, making his way over towards the sink (with a convenient mirror of course) on unsteady legs. Really, when was the last time he had used his legs...? It was then that the miraculous strength he'd had in his legs gave out and he came crashing down into the sink.

He was barely able to keep himself standing, half slumped over the sink clutching it tightly in his hands, gritting his teeth. His eyes slid shut as he tried to correct his stance, focusing on getting his legs to work for him again and trying to force the throbbing in his head towards the back.

Once he was sure relatively sure he could stand (albeit with vicariously leaning against the sink) he raised his head toward the mirror and opened glowing, red, pupil-less eyes once more and stared.

And stared.

And stared some more.

"Dumbledore has a lot of explaining to do."

* * *

Albus Dumbledore was up in his office checking and re-checking several gadget's and correspondences. It had only been an hour since young Harry Potter had collapsed, screaming, and then appeared changed. The implications worried the Headmaster and, deep in his gut, he had a bad feeling on where the source had first originated.

So the minute he had help insured that the young Potter was placed on the bed, wards set up to let them know when he was waking and moving about, Dumbledore had raced back to his office. He used his fire to contact Remus and asked the werewolf for help in checking up on a person somewhere in the states, wanting to be sure his gadgets and correspondences were correct.

After all there was only one explanation, truly, for what had happened to Harry Potter, and Albus Dumbledore was worried what the repercussions of this would turn out to be.

* * *

He had remained in the bathroom for quite some time, scrutinizing his face and clothing with a critical eye. Apparently his own appearance had shifted from the usual black haired and black robed teen. His hair was now a snowy white, around the color of Hedwig's white plumage.

His eyes meanwhile had become pupil-less and a fierce glowing red. Staring some more he has also noted that his skin had become even more pale than before, so much so that it looked as it it had become a blue tinted color. Which was quite disturbing as he was naturally very pale.

The scar that had marred his forehead above his brow for almost fourteen years had seemingly shifted to arch through his eye, the point ending on his cheek. He had the distinct impression that this scar had never existed before on this face and that whatever Voldemort had done had not only scarred him physically but also on his _soul_. It was indeed a frightening prospect.

The boy looked back at his clothing and cringed slightly as he seemed to have been redressed in blue colored leggings with a purple tunic and an even darker purple cloak around his shoulders. The ends of said cloak appeared to be starting to fray. This, again, he felt was a new development and the possibilities it heralded outright _terrified _him.

Still, the changes of his own features wasn't that off-putting. What _was_ off-putting were the voices he was now sure he had been hearing for a few minutes now, and the features of someone who _looked so similar _to himself that he swore he should know. This person he could _see_ but not see was struggling with some sort of aftermath of an accident.

_"Ugh...my head feels like it went through a round in the blender with ectoplasm."_

_"Gosh, are you sure you're really okay? How many fingers am I holding up?"_

_"Sam-"_

_"Two, __**again**__. And I'm fine, Sam, really. Except that my hairs white, and my eyes green, oh and the fact that __**I'm floating off the ground!**__"_

_"Well how was I supposed to know they'd put the on switch on the inside!"_

_"They're my parents! My apprehension should've been obvious! And I really didn't know they did that either but I probably should have."_

_"Yeah, man, you should have. Now you're like...well..."_

_"Dead, Tuck? I wouldn't have guessed! Except that __**I'm floating**__!"_

_"Danny calm down! We'll figure something out like...think not-happy thoughts?"_

_"Sam! Not helping!"_

He felt a small laugh start to creep up out from his chest and within seconds he was chuckling to an almost full blown guffaw. Dead! That was a good one! He was no more a ghost than he was a human! No, the boy was a halfa now and his dest-

He abruptly stilled, eyes widening in response to his own thoughts. He tilted his head, thinking, lips moving silently, before he shrugged it off. Whatever it was he wasn't meant to know, not yet at least. Maybe later it would come back to him.

Nodding to himself in tune with his thoughts he started to leave the bathroom when a scream tore from the Hospital Wing. It ripped up his spine and without thinking he found himself racing towards the noise, frantic.

Oh. It was just Madam Pomfrey. Now why was she looking at him like that...?

* * *

Poppy had entered her Hospital Wing to check up on Harry Potter with a sigh; she was sure by now the boy would be up and awake, ranting about his change of features, but the wards hadn't even _beeped_ they were so silent. Poor boy must really be out of it after that nasty shock he received.

It was for these very thoughts that when she saw the empty bed Poppy Pomfrey let loose a loud and frightened scream.

_Harry Potter was missing!_

...no, wait, there he was in the Teachers Bathroom. She calmed instantly and returned to staring furiously at him. Honestly! How in Merlin's name did he get around Albus' wards? She huffed and pointed back to the bed with a narrow eyed glare.

"And just what are you doing up, Mister?" she demanded, one hand on her hip the other still pointing to the bed. "You've had a nasty shock to your system and you need bed rest!"

Harry glanced at the bed with his now pupil-less red eyes (Poppy would admit that while unusual it seemed to actually fit the boy instead of make him seem like an evil reincarnation of You-Know-Who) before turning said eyes on her. They were definitely his eyes, that knowing look was still quite visible there.

"I feel as if I haven't used my legs for days, Madam," he replied, lifting an eyebrow. "Just how long have I been unconscious?"

Poppy frowned and waved her wand at the boy while replying, "Only an hour and what do you mean...now that's odd..." The Healer frowned at her wand and then at Harry when no response seemed to have been made.

"You won't get any response or reaction to spells when I'm like this," Harry murmured, wobbly making his way to the bed. He collapsed upon it while Poppy just seemed to _stare_at him.

"And why ever not, Mr. Potter?" she demanded.

"Because like this I am quite literally _dead_," was the blunt reply.

Madam Poppy Pomfrey crashed into the closest bed with a faint, "Oh dear..."

Harry just sent her his common slight half-smirk in reply, features radiating pure, and fake, innocence.

"Oh you didn't know? So sorry."

_Only_ Harry Potter, Poppy mused as she struggled to regain her breathing. _Only_ Harry Potter.

* * *

_**Onwards to the Author's Note!**_

_So yeah, I would've added more to this but I've been coming up with a block on how to literally continue this chapter without make it seem like it jerks around too much so I'm ending it here. Next chapter you'll get some answers for sure._

_Like why this happened to Harry at the exact same time as Danny, what Dumbledore is keeping secret, and a whole bunch of other things. Sorta._

_Yeah. Enjoy for now! Oh and I pretty much gave away a major secret in this chapter so don't go all pissy. It was for a good cause. You won't find out everything really until a bit later. The why's will remain unclear-or more exactly you'll learn why but not the mechanics behind it...yeah. Like I said: enjoy._

_**Beta's Notes.**_

**You wouldn't believe how long it took to get this chapter from TK. She's more lazy than I am sometimes! And now that I have fufilled my Beta duties, I must work on my own DP story. So many ideas, so little time to type it up.**

**Also, these chapters are so short...**

_TK: I'm not lazy, I'm just extremely busy. College, ya know?_


	3. Chapter 2: Answers

_**Of Lightning Bolts, Half Ghosts & Time Pieces  
By Twin Kats  
Beta'd by 1337kitsune**_

_Chapter Two  
_**Answers**

It took close to another hour of Madam Pomfrey valiantly trying not to have a nervous breakdown before Dumbledore was brought down to the Hospital Wing, sweating nervously. Of course the sight Dumbeldore was treated to was not what he had expected to see.

A changed Harry Potter was laughing uproariously besides the cautiously grinning Weasley Twins.

"And-And-And then..." Harry was trying to get out, wheezing slightly (although Dumbledore wondered how as Poppy claimed that as of right now in this form Harry was a _ghost_) "then...he finally changed back but was caught by his _sister_ tied up on the bed struggling with Tucker holding his feet down and Sam with her breasts in his face!"

Harry fell into a fit of laughter again and the Twins just blinked before chuckling nervously along with their friend.

"Sounds like that happens often," George almost asked to which Harry shook his head, laughter finally beginning to die down.

"I wouldn't say that before all of this these would be common experiences," the teen hedged slightly.

"Now...?" Fred asked,.

"Maybe," Harry replied, a small secret smile stretching across his lips.

By now Dumbledore was feeling a tad bit faint, but he shouldered on and cleared his throat. The Weasley Twins jumped but Harry didn't so much as twitch or move a muscle, his secret smile instantly morphing into a half-smirk.

"Professor," he greeted calmly before turning his (inhuman) eyes towards the elderly male. They were piercing as he asked, "It is good to see that you are finally ready to explain what you believe has happened."

"Yes, well..." Dumbledore couldn't deny that those were Harry Potter's eyes, the knowing look in them was a dead giveaway. The elderly man cleared his throat again and stared, "Perhaps Messers Wea-"

"They stay."

"But-" Harry just stared pointedly before the elder man sighed. "Very well then. Where to start..."

"The Prophecy." Harry stated bluntly.

Dumbledore frowned, "Right...Merlin's prophecy." Harry's eyes narrowed slightly but he didn't say anything else. Dumbledore sucked in a deep breath before he started speaking in an almost lecturing tone.

"At the end of Merlin's reign he gathered all the Magicals and his good friend King Arthur together. There he foretold what later became known as Merlin's Prophecy," Dumbledore paused before continuing a tad bit more hesitantly, "You must understand that at the time this was very unusual, especially for which in the way Merlin gave his prophecy for you see...he had given it in Modern English."

The Weasley Twins gaped appropriately while Harry just stared at Dumbledore with all-knowing eyes, silently prompting him to continue.

"Yes, well..." Dumbledore cleared his throat. "Merlin said, and I quote 'I'll be back, bitches. In the future, like from the Terminator. In fact I'll be my own grandchild or something, but that's not the point. The point is there is _nothing_ you clotpoles can do about it! Seriously! You're all screwed if you think you can boss my reincarnation around. Literally. And I'll know if you try, that means you Albus Percivial Wulfric Brian Dumbledore,' ah..." here Dumbledore winced slightly as the Twins now joined Harry in narrowing their eyes. He coughed slightly, a light blush tinting his cheeks.

"That wasn't all." Harry prompted, already knowing what was going to come next.

"Yes, quite right..." Dumbledore cleared his throat before saying, "Merlin did say one last thing... 'Note to self: shake the thermos severely when I finally get home again' No one understands quite what he meant by that..." Dumbledore trailed off as Harry grinned quite viciously.

"Oh Dan~" he cheerfully whistled, causing Dumbledore to wince again.

"Who is...Dan?" he asked, hesitantly, causing Harry to frown.

"Don't know yet," the ghost finally uttered. "But I will. Eventually. Now..." the frown turned back into a half-smirk, "when were you going to tell me about young Daniel?"

"Ah..." Dumbledore glanced at the glaring Weasley Twins to the half-smirking, currently ghost Potter.

Albus Dumbledore did the only sensible thing at that moment: he got the hell out of there.

* * *

It took quite a while, with a few distractions from Harry getting more images and sounds from Danny's end and having to retell them once his laughter had subsided enough, but eventually Harry had finally done with he'd ask the Twins' help for.

He had changed back.

Now once more Harry Potter he was able to leave the Hospital Wing. Almost instantly he, along with the Twins, sought out their group and they quickly congregated in the Room of Requirement. The group, with little talking between them, quickly seated themselves at the round table that the Room had provided and turned to Harry questioningly.

"What happened," Ron demanded, face set in stone.

Harry didn't respond at first, his face oddly blank. After a minute however he looked over each person in the room and proceeded to talk, "I had the unfortunate luck to be the target of a large backlash of energies created from an accident in another country."

All of the kids immediately began to speak up, wanting to know _what_ energies and what had happened but they were silenced as Harry's gaze crossed the room again.

"I'm perfectly well," Harry stated. "Nothing is wrong with me. In fact everything is _right_." Harry glanced around the room again. "This was an unexpected accident, however I know that it happened for a reason. What that reason is I'll know with _time_. For now I need to focus on mastering my new...gifts. Thankfully I have a...guide of sorts to help me."

"What are you saying?" Neville asked.

Harry frowned slightly before asking the group as a whole, "What do you know, except the Weasley's and Patil's, about Twin Bonds?"

"Twin children are inherently connected to one another," Hermione began calmly. "Even muggle twin children have some form of bond between the two, although not many recognize it. For magical children or children of magical lineage the bond is tangible. If a life changing action happens to one twin the theory says it will back...lash...oh."

Harry half-smiled this time and nodded, "Exactly. I have a younger twin brother, and this new gift...is a result of an accident he had."

"Dumbledore knew?" Ginny asked softly and Harry nodded again.

"Correct."

Pavarti, Padme, Lavender, Seamus, Dean, Dennis, Luna and Colin all exchanged long glances before Seamus spoke up, almost hesitantly.

"What are ya goin' ta do, mate?"

Harry raised his half-lidded gaze to the ceiling, his half-smile turning into a small smirk as he replied, "Is it not obvious?" He lowered his gaze to the group once more, smirk widening almost inhumanely as his eyes began to _glow_. "I'm going to find him."

* * *

_**Onwards to the Author's Note!**_

_Yup, you read that right. Twin._

_Now what is going to happen...? Well, we'll see. We'll see._

_And I apologize for the shortness, again. At least the pace for the story should pick up now!_

_For the Anon. Reviewers of the previous chapter this is my response:_

_**Person who did not leave a single name:**__nope, that is not what Clockwork is doing. Danny is perfectly fine._

_**Jen**__: Thank you for letting me know about the possible spelling mistake. I'll be looking that up here soon XD I was just guessing but what little I can remember of French._

_**Beta Notes:**_**If you haven't read the story before the edits and my addition as Beta, you are probably going 'What the Hell?' I know I was at first...Don't worry. It will all make sense...in time...**

Clockwork muse forced me to say it!

_TK: Ffff, was this child!Clock forcing you to say it, luv? He can be quite devious…_


	4. Chapter 3: And the World Goes Round

_**Of Lightning Bolts, Half Ghosts & Time Pieces  
By Twin Kats  
Beta'd by 1337kitsune**_

_Chapter Three  
_**And the World Goes Round**

Harry was frustrated. Like, _really_ frustrated. It had been almost more than a _month_ since he had first learned about Daniel, a twin he had never knew existed till he turned half-ghost, and yet he was _no closer to finding him! His twin! Brother! _Frankly, it was quite frustrating. It was degrading! Annoying!

Yes, the formerly unruffable Harry Potter was _extremely_ annoyed and beyond all reason. Not even the antics Daniel got up to as a half-ghost teen could pull him down from his simmering rage any longer.

Not even-wait, what was that?

Harry frowned, tilted his head slightly, and then blinked.

"BWHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Fred and George looked at the rest of the group and then back to Harry and winced.

* * *

Harry had, thankfully, after a few more weeks, returned to his natural countenance. It had taken a lot of work on their group's part to stop him in his down times from outright attacking Dumbledore. The times where he burst into laughter weren't always so great either. They usually had to get him to stop laughing and tell them just what the hell was so funny.

Apparently Daniel was starting his career as a superhero and kept getting into all kinds of trouble. The fact that Harry was laughing frequently had the group deciding it was a good thing. The bad thing was that it made Harry's want and need to find him stronger. Meanwhile as all of this was going on, all of Hogwarts noticed a shift in the Potter group dynamics.

Fred and George Weasley appeared to have replaced Ron and Hermione in position while, much like their second year, Neville began taking charge a bit more. Harry was never left alone and was almost always taken to being escorted by one of the two sets of twins.

The group had quickly discovered that having another twin around seemed to help stabalize the bond Harry had with Daniel. In turn this toned down the rare times where Harry fell into one of his two slumps.

No one really understood why Harry would be found cursing the existance of being a twin occasionally, but many guessed it had to do with the unraveling of his normally unravel-able exterior. The mutterings about Time were certainly new though.

Still the days had come and gone, Harry had spent them regaling the group with tales of Danny getting into trouble. Fighting the Lunch Lady, Dora, Skulker (which Harry happily told everyone that yes, he was overcompensating_ a lot_), Technus (to which Harry mumbled something about hypocrites), the Box Ghost-all the way to the fights with Plasmius.

Although no one mentions the Plasmius fights because for some reason that causes Harry to twitch almost uncontrollably while muttering about committing bloody murder under his breath. And something about shaking a thermos, but that had been normal for years really. It just became more apparent and often since the Accident-with capital A. Anything less was considered bad form.

The days had come and gone seemingly quickly; the Goblet of Fire had been released at the end of September and now, on October 31st, was about to spew out the names of the contestants for the Tournament. The 'Potter Entourage' were nervous. This was another prime example of the 'let's kill Harry!' game that many Dark Wizards had started since first year.

Granted Harry himself seemed a bit pre-occupied, a constant half-smirk on his lips and his gaze _elsewhere_. No one was clearly home which was a glaring sign to their little group. Harry was _seeing_ Daniel again. Granted just _what_ Daniel could be getting up to the night of Halloween was questionable, but it was something. The group knew they would find out eventually though.

With the evening feast coming to a close the Goblet of Fire was wheeled (yes, wheeled, ironically) up before the Head Table. Dumbledore stood and tapped his Goblet, calling attention of the whole school. Minus Harry who was still, mentally, elsewhere.

He missed the announcements for the Beauxbatons champion (Fluer), the Durmstrang champion (Krum), and even the Hogwarts champion (Cedric) although he did clap for that one along with everyone else. In fact so out of it was Harry that he missed his own name being called.

"Harry Potter!" Dumbledore hollered again. Fred and George exchanged glances, sighed, and than hauled Harry up. Together they frog-marched the seemingly brainless teen up to the Headmaster, who lightly frowned.

"Harry?" he questioned.

"Where do you want us," Fred started.

"To take him?" George finished.

"Is he...alright?" Dumbledore asked, warily eyeing the blank eyed boy. Honestly, he had to wonder just _why _he had become a headmaster in the first place...

"He's fine," George waved a hand dismissively.

Dumbledore sighed, pointed to a small door that led to the ante-chamber and mumbled, "Through there please."

The twins nodded and calmly frog-marched Harry through the door.

* * *

The ensuing outrage that followed the announcement of Harry being a Tri-Wizard champion was expected. What was not expected was for Harry to suddenly burst out into laughter. The Weasley twins exchanged glances and sighed.

"'Eadmaster 'e is obviously disturbed!" Madam Maxine shouted as Harry's laughter began to quell.

_"Madam I assure you I am not 'disturbed',"_ the young Potter replied in fluent French. _"In fact if you will kindly sit down I can explain what has happened to a degree."_

"Harry, my boy, that is not-" Dumbledore started but froze when Harry turned _glowing red-tinged_ green eyes in his direction. "Ah, never mind..."

"Dumbledore! You dare let a student-" Karkoroff roared and Harry sighed, closing his eyes as if to ask for strength.

A second later two glowing rings wrapped themselves around him and Harry stood (on weak legs; really, when _was_ the last time he'd use these things?) before the group which had silenced in the moment of his change.

"Now you will _be quiet_ and listen to me, am I understood?"

"Now see here-"

"_TIME OUT!_"

* * *

He had honestly no real idea why he froze time in that room except that he was feeling greatly annoyed and needed a minute to think. It had nothing to do with the occupants of the room and everything to do with Daniel. Sort of.

Okay so they were annoying him with their posturing! It wasn't his fault he looked like a fourteen year old boy! Ignoring the fact the he _was_ a fourteen year old boy. That wasn't the problem. No, the problem was that he _knew_ what had happened, he just needed to silence the bastards long enough to _explain_.

Oh. That would've been a good idea from the start, wouldn't it.

Sighing to himself he calmly roused Fred and George from the freeze and stated, "Silence them would you?"

The Twins grinned and quickly shot off several silencers. He gave his customary half-smirk and time suddenly righted itself with blissful silence.

"Thank you," Clockwork (hm, he _liked_ that name...) intoned to the Twins before turning back towards his...ah _prey_ was such a strong word...

* * *

It had taken a few hours and several Oaths, but finally things continued on as normal as one could get. Granted Harry (and the Twins) now had a wary eye on Moody if only because something about _that_ Oath bothered him. He wasn't sure what about the Oath bothered him (seeing as a majority of his senses appeared overloaded in ghost form versus his human form) but he just _knew_ there was something off.

The Twins had agreed, which was never a good sign.

Now, after that meet and greet had finally passed on (into its own afterlife, he mused with a half-smirk) the entourage was gathered once more in the Room of Requirement to discuss a serious (in Harry's mind at least) topic.

"I've decided that my ghost form shall be called Clockwork."

Of course not _everyone_ agreed with Harry on the seriousness of the topic.

"I thought we agreed that Time Piece was a good idea?" Fred _almost_ pouted.

Harry winced, "No. Just...no."

_Except_ for the Weasley Twins.

* * *

_**ONWARDS TO THE AUTHORS NOTE!**_

_Right, I really couldn't help myself in adding that last part in XD Really. So you guys got a__**slightly**_ _longer chapter this time around. Bravo! I'm trying to speed things up but...my head just wants to plop things out at random apparently. Hopefully I'll be able to skim over the rest of the year in the next chapter, although at this rate I might just end up doing one chapter per major event of the school year._

_Meaning one for the first task, one for Yule, one for the second task, and one for the final task and then off to merry old meeting of Danny. Which, by the way, will be more crack I think. I've__**already**_ _have a few ideas on__**how**__Danny meets his twin brother...but you'll have to wait and see._

_For now...sorry to be dragging this out. To be honest I usually__**rush**_ _things so I'm finding it very strange that I'm not rushing. It's unusual. Then again it might just be Clockwork or writing about Clockwork. He doesn't seem to like to rush._

_Oh well. Enjoy!_

_**Beta Notes: Honestly TK, this story just makes no sense half of the time...it's like...I don't even know. All I do know is that it gets a might tad confusing...Ugh, I wanna watch Black Cat! STUPID ETHER-NETS!**_

_**Ta~**_

_TK: Well…I wrote this story while high on coca cola…a good portion of it at least. That might explain the confusion._


	5. Chapter 4: Life Moves On

**Of Lightning Bolts, Half-Ghosts & Time Pieces  
**_By Twin Kats  
**Beta'd by FlyonSilverWings **_

_Chapter Four  
_**Life Moves On**

After the debacle known as the Halloween feast (in which yes, Harry's entourage _did_ get the full story on what happened with Daniel) life in Hogwarts moved on. Oh sure, a great majority of the school started off thinking Harry had put his name in on purpose, but it didn't take _too_ long for Lavender and Pavarti to quash those rumors.

Mostly because the entire group knew that Harry had actually spent a majority of his waking hours trying to find ways of seeking out Daniel. Granted as that _wasn't_ a viable explanation at the time (though why Harry refused to say) they'd instead counteracted it with clear facts.

Basically they said that despite Harry's quesitonable sanity he has not once gone out of his way to seek trouble like this. It just happens to _find_ him. The Troll incident being one of many. And yes, even Harry's friends did question his sanity by the way. Harry never once complained nor noticed this fact, however.

It was all oddly familiar anyhow and as such didn't really bother the young Potter at all.

_(in the Ghost Zone the Clockwork clone frowned slightly and found himself wondering, really, why all of the Ghost Zone thought him completely insane anyway)_

Either way things progressed rather normally from there, except when the Potter Stinks badges appeared. They were destroyed by the Hufflepuff's in a blind rage as soon as they started circulating. No one knew why, and Hufflepuff _wasn't_ explaining. Harry just smiled knowingly.

Of course the badges incident did not even come close to the debacle that was the Weighing of the Wands ceremony...

* * *

As was typical Harry was followed by one twin at all times, even in class. As such when the Hufflepuff boy appeared at Snape's door asking for Harry Potter to attend some 'champion thing' Pavarti stood with him, all ready to go.

Snape would have none of it.

"Really Professor you don't _understand_-" Pavarti was trying to explain without really explaining. Snape just sneered.

"Pavarti," Harry interrupted, placing a hand on the girl's shoulder. Pavarti turned towards her friend, biting her lip. "Don't worry, I'll be _fine_. You attend class."

Hesistantly the young witch nodded her head and giving her another smile, Harry left. Of course the Hufflepuff didn't notice that Harry had completely disappeared until _after_ they had arrived at the door.

Needless to say all of Hogwarts was abruptly in an uproar about the missing presence of the Boy-Who-Lived. Teachers hunted throughout the entire castle for him, even Rita buzzed around trying to get a scoop! Well, until she got covered in some sort of dungbomb-esque substance while in her animagus form that is. Either way eventually everyone they had to continue with the Ceremony one champion short.

Of course it was afterwards that Harry was discovered in ghostly form sitting on the roof staring at the sky, red eyes dulled.

"I refuse to meet Rita," was all he said the second he was found.

Rita didn't come back to Hogwarts after that.

* * *

Hagrid's attempt at getting Harry to discover what the first task ended before it even really began.

"I know," the young Potter uttered, lips tugging slightly upwards. Hagrid hadn't even gotten a chance to say a word yet.

"Well I err..."

His lips fully formed into his typical half-smirk as he walked away, adding in parting shot, "Why don't you invite Cedric instead...?"

Cedric later tapped him on the shoulder in the corridor and opened his mouth but Harry had calmly interrupted him with glowing eyes and tilted lips.

"I know," he said simply, and walked on.

* * *

November 24th, day of the first task, dawned without incident. All of the champions gathered in the tent and stood, nervous. Well all except one, Harry Potter, but that was a given really. Nothing ruffled Harry's feathers after all.

Except Daniel (and he _was_ muttering something mind controlling freaks) but they didn't know that.

No, while every champion but Harry Potter chewed nervously on their fingernails as one after another they left the tent Harry calmly leaned against the wall, eyes closed, head bowed, and arms and legs crossed. For all intents and purposes he appeared to be dozing.

Glowing eyes snapped open a fraction of a second just before his name called and with purposeful strides Harry walked calmly out of the tent. He continued walking all the way past the dragon, picked up the egg, and returned to his post outside the tent.

The entire crowd was silent as Harry, ever so calmly, entered the medical tent for examination.

It was then, of course, that the dragon went crazy.

* * *

_**ONWARDS TO THE AUTHORS NOTE!**_

_Rather short chapter but...really it was giving me problems. And I left it at a hanger but meh, I don't care. It's annoying me. I've been trying to write this for several days and it kept refusing to work! Eventually I took the blunt force method in hand a bit more firmly and...well, here's you finished product. Enjoy~_


	6. Chapter 5: Ere Christmastime Comes

**Of Lightning Bolts, Half-Ghosts & Time Pieces  
**_By Twin Kats  
**Beta'd by FlyonSilverWings **_

_Chapter Five  
_**Ere Christmastime Comes**

Harry sat on his favorite spot on the roof, once more in the form he had since dubbed Clockwork. Pupil-less red eyes gazed out at the expanse of Hogwarts, specifically down by the forest were, not that long ago, the dragon had raged.

His gaze almost calmly took in the torn earth, dirt strewn and flung every which way. Scorch marks littered trees, grass, and rocks alike. Timber lay in a crumbled mass spanning several _meters_. Hagrid's hut was no more.

As he stared at the wreckage left behind to fester he could see and _remember_ what had happened with acute clarity...

_Harry had calmly entered the hut, body as relaxed as could be. The Judges and students were stone dead silent outside, unsure of what exactly had happened. Even Madam Pomfrey, who did a cursory check of him and shot him a rather dark smirk, having correctly guessed what he'd done, was eerily silent._

_That was when the roar tore through the air. The earth shook and there was a great big __**crack**__ that rang in the empty stillness and suddenly everything was moving. People were screaming, calls for the Dragon Handlers were shot out. Spellfire could be __**felt**__ along with licking heat of a dragon's breath. Thundering footsteps and in a flurry of movement the entire tent was packed up and injured students carted off._

_Harry found himself being jostled about in the strange crowd as the medical tent made their panicked way towards the castle. As he cleared the last piece of fabric he could see the cause of sudden terror._

_The dragon had broken loose and was rampaging._

_An icy chill wound its way down Harry's spine as he stared at the dragon that roared and thrashed; the nesting mother's tail whipped around, hitting panicked students back. Thankfully they were caught by more experienced adults who quickly began floating the injured back into the castle._

_But Harry couldn't move; he was no longer being jostled about. He was rooted to the very spot, watching the dragon scream and breathe its fire and __**rage**__. The icy chill down his back grew stronger until it tightened around his chest painfully._

_This was what he had been trying to avoid in the first place!_

_Without even conscious thought Harry shifted and Clockwork rose up into the air, red eyes narrowed. His hands twitched, almost aching to wrap around the dragons neck and __**snap**__it. Such life should not be endangered this way and by his own actions...!_

_His eyes glowed and the world __**stopped**__..._

Clockwork closed his lids, burying his face into his knees. He needed the solitude, the silence. No one had known that it was he that stopped the rampage except for his group and the few adults that knew of his other form. Still yet the force to **shift** that behemoth into a state of sleep, and the sudden drive to _save_ the lives he'd endangered had taken it's toll.

Clockwork had collapsed afterward, falling to the ground and shifting back; the world now righted and safe. The rumors had started the next day, of how he'd _fainted_ at the sight of the rampaging dragon. Oh how he'd wanted to shut them up, to show them, tell them that it was not true. That he'd just saved their lives!

Such emotions however were unfamiliar to him. He'd never turly felt a burning desire to protect and save before-not even when he'd rescued Ginny! It was unsettling, the teen had decided, deeply and utterly unsettling.

And truly he didn't know why he'd done any of it in the first place.

* * *

It was the next day that Professor McGonagall had announced that the Yule Ball would take place on the twenty-fifth. Harry had initially not heard her, instead his mind entirely elsewhere. Or more correctly his mind was following Daniel through yet another adventure. This one involving bratty pirate ghosts.

Harry really didn't get what was so funny about 'booty' anyway.

That, however, didn't stop the teen from turning to Pavarti directly after McGonagall's announcement and asking, "Date?"

Pavarti actually half-smirked at the half-way gaze of Harry and uttered a simple, "Sure."

Harry promptly went back to eating, only to pause and say, "Hermione, Ron, together. No jealousy, thanks."

* * *

The rest of the few weeks before the ball were followed by intermittent furious outbursts from Harry but otherwise passed normally. Well that is unless one counts the first week were Harry was found grinning ear from ear at a set of news Hermione told him.

He now knew where Daniel was: Amity Park, Illinois.

This news was promptly tempered one week later when Harry became suddenly recluse, twitching heavily every now and then and muttering bloody murder about vampiric wannabe ghosts called Plasmius, evil alternate future's, meddling, and shaking a thermos. There was also a random mention of some sort of kiss and self-cest or twin-cest that the entire group decided not to mention.

Especially since how murderous Harry's eyes had gotten. They weren't just _glowing_ at that point, they were glowing _red_. A furious, bloody, murderous red.

_(Clockwork gagged and rubbed at his mouth furious; he'd taken to having five showers a __**day**__ since the INCIDENT trying his damndest to destroy the memory of __**hot**__ lips on him and that __**tongue**__...)_

Harry almost threw up in the middle of potions quite randomly. He sort of just stilled before his hands raised to his mouth and he made this odd gagging sort of noise, whole body shuddering and jolting...

Yeah. No one brought it up, ever. Not on pain of bloody death.

If the way the weeks leading to the Yule holidays were any indication, Christmas...would prove to be Harry's most trying event, and not because of the Ball.

* * *

The day dawned rather normally, bright and early. Things white, cheerful, and _blinding_ but normal. The girl's were all giggling, the boys almost sullen or grinning goofily to themselves-except Harry, who was just Harry. From what anyone was able to gather Padme was going with Krum, as Hermione hooked up with Ron (finally, in everyone's opinion) Ginny was with Neville, Seamus taking Luna and Dean taking Lavender. Fred & George settled on Alicia and Angelina while Dennis and Colin Creevey opted to stay behind and enjoy the mostly empty house dormitory. That and they couldn't find girls old enough to take pity on them.

The day started out rather normal and remained that way until around midday. Then the rhyming started.

_Rhyming._

Harry shuddered slightly, despite himself.

"You know I can't just wait until it's time!" Lavender cheerful regaled to their group.

"Exactly! I'll finally have him as _mine_," Hermione grinned, almost leering at Ron.

Harry was praying this was a temporary ocurrance. The rhyming, that is. Hermione with Ron was just...it would save them all headaches, of that the young Potter knew.

"Oh please like any of that matters!" Ginny scoffed. "Think of all the silver platters!"

"Gold cutlery and delicious food," Pavarti smiled.

"Don't forget your dancing _shoes_!" Padme almost _squealed_.

Harry swiftly stalked out of the common room. He needed away from this madness before he found himself rhyming too!

It was here the young Potter paused, eyes wide and jaw open. Somehow he just suddenly knew; the ball was rolling, the spell cast, and until the 'story' had reached its ending there was nothing he could do!

* * *

Neeldess to say that for the rest of the day Harry Potter was quite glum. He'd shuffled and mumbled his way through the halls, his shoulders right slumped. He did not look up, not once, at neither friend nor foe. Instead he cursed and mentally moaned his woe.

_'This rhyming way of speaking as infected even my thinking!'_ he thought to himself. _'I must find a way to remedy this cursed day before I go completely insane!'_

And so he thought, and pondered, and wondered, but no answer was forthcoming. He was alone in a world that found itself unknowingly rhyming. For no one, not here, not there, found something strange _except_ for that one boy on who this was blamed.

"Wrecking a book Daniel, how stupid could you get!" Harry moaned to himself as he sat down in the Tower. "Can't you see past your own glower?"

Cursing and scowling the Potter boy _shifted_ and in his now ghostly form he lifted. Up into the air floating gentle as a breeze he settled himself on the roof with a sneeze.

"I hate this, this rhyming," he grumbled into his cape. "And with Ghost Writer writing there is no escape!"

Red eyes narrowed in anger and he bared his teeth; his head tilted back, his fury unleashed. With his hood pushed down and mouth opened wide, he roared out to the open sky:

"Do you hear me, Ghost Writer? _YOU SHALL PAY AND PAY DEARLY!_ _No one_ makes Clockwork _this weary_!"

* * *

Teenaged and furious Clockwork was floating. He passed through doors and lairs with fists a-glowing. Eyes red murderous he made his way, with raged fueled intent to end this play. Upon reaching the doors of the chaotic library, the teen hybrid grinned quite daring.

"Oh Ghost Writer," he sang as he burst through the door, "I'm here to put an end to your horrible war!"

_Ghost Writer paused, staring at the screen, horrified, and screeched, "WHAT?" The teenaged Clockwork grinned maliciously from the doorway, ignoring all the fighting, and leapt at the Ghost in the center of the room, hands squeezing around his neck._

_"Ack!"_

"Die you stupid, rhyming old ghost!" Clockwork snarled in the Ghost Writer's ear. "You've ruined any of my _christmas cheer!_"

Danny here paused, quite shocked to see his mentor. _("MENTOR?" Ghost Writer screeched)_

"Clockwork?" he asked for lack of witty banter.

It was then out of nowhere a second Clockwork appeared! Eyes narrowed he bypassed the younger ghosts here. He reached up and gripped the teenage Clockwork by the neck and pulled the struggling child away from the wreck. Ghost Writer weakly rubbed his throat, not in the least caring about his ruffled coat.

_("WHAT?")_

"Ghost Writer you'll cease this uselesss nonsense," Clockwork uttered with boring red eyes, "or you'll see how much worse I can make _all_ your ghost lives." And then he turned towards the teen in his hand, still struggling quite futilely to break free and stand. "As for you, dear child, you must be getting back home. Is there not a prior engagement you must _be shown_?"

A flick of his wrist sent the teen through a portal, and with a dark smirk Clockwork turned towards young Daniel.

"I would suggest learning the lesson your due, but to be entirely sure _find the words that make Ghost Writer blue_."

With that Clockwork vanished and the world seemed to right. Ghost Writer kneeled on the ground, surprised at the sight. And then Danny grinned and opened his mouth; one word he said, just one, but it turned everything south.

"Orange."

_"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Nothing rhymes with orange!" Ghost writer moaned._

* * *

An hour later Harry sighed in relief, a small grin on his lips.

"No more rhyming," he breathed out, grinning viciously. "And Ghost Writer won't know what'll hit him..."

Harry laughed.

* * *

_**ONWARDS TO THE AUTHORS NOTE!**_

_...clone Clockwork too the rescue! 8D I __**had**__ to change that episode. Really. And damn it if the rhyming __**doesn't**__ get addicting as your writing it. Really it's like I have to switch part of my brain off to switch out of rhyming mode! You do __**not**__ know how hard that is!_

_Well...yeah. Longer chapter. In the same day. Enjoy. Next chapter will definitely be second task and maybe third. We'll see._

_Oh and the think about __**Clockwork**__ up there with mentioning mouths and washing? Yeah, he had an unexpected molestation. Nothing else. He was just...kissed thoroughly and groped evilly and got freaked out. You'll see more of it if I ever get around to writing the oneshot. But don't worry! Clockwork shall remain painfully asexual in this, I think. I say that because what happened will sorta be one sided. I'm not pairing Clockwork with anyone, not Harry either really. I mean really Clockwork's sorta...emotionally inept there anyway 8D Merlin!Clockwork wasn't but it all depends on how one was raised._

_In a loveless environment like the Dursley's and with what happened when Harry was a baby I'd think a bit more of Clockwork would bleed through into his personality unlike with Merlin. So yeah._

_On another note you guys get to see just how being human also affects Clockwork above. Also how being twin brother to Danny too. Clockwork doesn't quite understand what's going on with himself, though. A tad bit of seriousness to compliment my silliness. Be thankful, it was surprising that __**any**__ sort of seriousness appeared in this. Oh well._

_Again, enjoy._


	7. Chapter 6: He's Got Nothin' On Pariah

**Of Lightning Bolts, Half-Ghosts & Time Pieces  
**_By Twin Kats  
**Beta'd by FlyonSilverWings **_

_Chapter Six  
_**He's Got Nothin' On Pariah**

Two months went by without incident. It was rather...unsettling. At least _once_ a week Harry would rage or laugh hysterically, but since the Yule Ball all there was...was silence.

Either pair of twins that constantly followed the young Potter around were subject to a more...frightening truth. Harry wasn't silent, he wasn't moody or emo (although the times he sat on the roof staring at the slowly healing wreckage of the First Task begged to differ) no...he was _sadistic_.

The twins didn't know how, nor when, nor why, but somehow Harry had another _ghost_ similar to himself trapped in a room created by the Room of Requirement. This ghost Harry had called 'Ghost Writer' and he'd taken to tormenting said ghost by randomly saying "orange" when speaking to him.

Both pair of twins were shocked to see Ghost Writer fall into hysterics at the mere mention, with Harry grinning rather sadistically.

"It sucks, doesn't it?" he asked Ghost Writer one day. "That your _weakness_ is a simple, round piece of fruit?"

Ghost Writer sniffled slightly, curled up in a corner created by two bookshelves.

"Are you _sorry_ yet for that debacle known as Christmas?" Harry would always ask and Ghost Writer would always glare, green eyes mutinous.

"Orange."

"NOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Yes, the two set of twins decided: Harry was a scary sadist.

* * *

To be fair, Harry hadn't wanted to let Diggory in on how to discover the clue for the second task, but fair is fair after all.

"Have sex with it in the tub."

Well, that and screwing with people too.

"HARRY!"

* * *

The day of the second task dawned without incident. The twins were still horrified when Harry wandered off to the Room that contained Ghost Writer. They no longer entered the room itself but instead remained outside. It didn't stop the hysterical screams from piercing through the door and forcing them to wince.

Still Harry calmly and indifferently made his way to the lake. Dobby had tried to foist some gillyweed into his hands but the teen just ignored the batty house elf with practiced ease.

Of course getting there had actually almost cost Dobby a limb, but they don't speak of that. Ever.

Harry, to be honest, wasn't even paying attention when the Judges announced just what was to be retrieved from the bottom of the lake (although he did wonder how they got Hedwig to agree to this shenanigan) despite looking as attentive as ever. No, his mind was, yet again, elsewhere.

To be specific it (his mind) was wondering just what Daniel saw in Valerie Gray, and _why_ he wanted to do...that...with her. He was really trying hard not to puke at the mere thought.

_(the Clockwork clone twitched slightly and swiftly raced over to the thermos and began to furiously shake the damn thing; as the screams wound up a relaxed smile fell across blue lips. Ah, bliss...)_

When the whistle sounded Harry began _walking_ into the lake. He continued walking, even when the water went over his head and he should have floated.

All of Hogwarts, Beauxbatons, and Durmstrang watched in wonder as the boy-who-lived (to be Clockwork) walked along the lake bottom, to his owl, and back out again none-the-worse for wear.

It was the only task where nothing happened.

* * *

Time passed, as it always does, and Harry was finally back to 'normal' excluding his continued presence in the Room filled with Ghost Writer's hysterical screaming.

The Twins (both pairs) were sure that Ghost Writer was practically a brainless blubbering mess by now.

The fact remained however that time had passed. It had gone from the nice day of February all the way to June now. In fact it was the day of the final task. It bares not to mention that the discovery of the maze was completely un-noteworthy for once. Seriously, nothing happened, get over it.

So on the day of the last Task Harry stood with his fellow campions outside the maze. Amazingly enough Harry was _not_ in first place. He was last, mostly because the other judges were sure he cheated somehow. They just couldn't prove it. Yet.

Ignoring the fact that Harry did not, in fact, cheat. Unless you count having ghostly abilities as cheating. And foreknowledge of the events. And-okay he cheated.

But hey, he usually cheats anyway! Remember Ygraine Pendragon? Yeah, his fault she bore no children. And that whole thing with Daniel and Dan? He so cheated there, even the Observants said so!

Granted the Observants are piss poor examples really; they're nothing but whiny bitches. Seriously.

_("Clockwork, this fashion of thinking is not fair!"_

_"Precisely why I think it," Clockwork mumbled, eye twitching as he tried to ignore the __**walking talking eyestalks**__ whose presence he was forced to endure._

_"What was that?"_

_"Nothing!")_

Harry twitched.

_'Must. Not. Kill. Eyestalks.'_

Oh, look at that, time to enter the maze!

* * *

"Avada Kedavra!"

Harry hadn't wanted Cedric to die. Really, he hadn't. It was nothing personal. Seriously. There was no secret hidden vendetta _at all_. It was just how it was supposed to be.

For once.

And so upon Cedric's valiant death-

_("Goddammit I did not die valiantly!"_

_"__**Sigh**__ please stop whining; I get enough of it from the Observants."_

_"GRAH!")_

-Harry actually shed a tear. Then he grinned. Now at least his lair had a housemaid!

Yup, no vendetta against Cedric at _all_.

_("You so did this on purpose."_

_"__**Smirk**__ maybe, maybe not."_

_"I hate you."_

_"Many ghosts do.")_

Harry was continuously smirking even as Wormtail warily approached him, bound him to the headstone, and performed the ritual that brought Voldemort back to life. In fact he remained smirking through out Voldemort's introduction, a fact which unnerved everyone of the Death Eaters present and simply enraged the Dark Lord.

"CRUCIO!"

Harry twitched but didn't so much as scream. High pain tolerance: comes with being ghostly. Or part ghostly, at least. Except for Daniel and Vlad, they were really wimps.

_'I should really pay attention now,'_ Harry thought to himself as Voldemort attempted to throw curse after curse at the teen. He mostly just dodged, except for the stray crucio sent his way. Those usually met their mark. _'But really...this guy ain't got nothin' on Pariah. Now __**who**__ is Pariah again...?'_

Harry frowned, side stepped the next crucio, and ended up right next to the cup and Cedric's body. He blinked _almost glowing _green eyes at the Dark Lord and said two words.

"You suck."

Then he was gone.

* * *

_**ONWARDS TO THE AUTHORS NOTE!**_

_Anti-climatic, much?_

_Yeah...I figured Voldemort has nothing on Pariah Dark, considering Pariah Dark was so feared the whole of the ghost zone bound him in a coffin of Forever Sleep or whatnot. Seriously. Voldemort ain't got nothin' on that. He was killed by a __**baby**__ and not six or seven dudes binding him in a coffin like Pariah. The guys a wimp. Nuff said._

_And no, Ghosts don't have a higher pain tolerance. Clockwork, and by default Harry, are just different. Clockwork however doesn't seem to get this. I swear sometimes he's half senile. It wouldn't surprise me in the least if he forgot that Dan was in the thermos and let him out on accident thinking it was really a soup can._

_Okay there I jest but you get the picture!_

_And yes, Clockwork/Harry shall torture Ghost Writer until he arrives in Amity. Why? He really hated the rhyming._

_I actually pity Ghost Writer. He's one of my favorite characters. Maybe that's why I dump on him...I tend to do it a lot with my favorite characters. Ghost Writer has even made it to my top 3!_

_Clockwork, Dan Phantom, Ghost Writer, Danny, Vlad, Technus, Skulker, Dani, Valerie, Jack._

_Seriously. That's my top ten. No joke. Dan rates above Danny. Sorry guys, but I'm into the14-year-old children. Thus Dan. He's 24, more my age range XD And older!Danny however...now that might be drool-worthy. If he looks anything like Dan. Heheh..._

_But I do like Danny. Enough to get him in 4th, at least. His quips amuse me so..._

_And I tend to pity Vlad, really. For such a horrible influence he's such a lovable villian too. Well...love and hate, really. Skukler is cool, and Technus is just EPIC. He'd be in my top five if I didn't love Danny and Vlad as much as I do. Danielle/Dani is there because...well Butch was awesome to give us genderbent Danny in the form of the ONLY female clone. Sweet, huh? Valaier pwns and Jack...is Jack. 'Nuff said. XD_

_And yes, Harry/Clockwork now has an aversion to anything sexual, if you didn't get the above where Clockwork needed to go to his happy place (in other words: shake the thermos! I swear he jacks off to it or something...good lord it's practically the same motion! If he were a sexual creature...guh! Dirty thoughts!) Anyway if you didn't get why Clockwork needed to destress it was simple: Danny was wanting to jump Valaries bones. Teenage hormones and all. Harry got a super-dose of it and...well, it unnerved him. Which Clone!Clockwork was watching and got unnerved too. Enough to need happy place._

_I think he's getting a bit too unhinged as a human now. Hm, must reign him in somehow...I swear since Christmas and Dan Clockwork's gotten...battier. Whoops...oh well! Next chapter: Amity Park!_

_Enjoy~_

_Edit: beta'd by FlyonSilverWings_


	8. Ch 7: Danny Meet Clockwork The Real One

**Of Lightning Bolts, Half-Ghosts & Time Pieces  
**_By Twin Kats  
**Beta'd by FlyonSilverWings **_

_Chapter Seven  
_**Danny Meet Clockwork. The Real One**

The school year ended rather predictably. Harry was placed in the Hospital Wing, then released when nothing was found wrong, then he went to the Diggory family and offered them a chance to speak to their son one last time.

Hey, being a Ghost had its advantages. Having a Ghostly maid who just happened to be one Cedric Diggory was a plus.

"I hate you," Cedric mumbled darkly to Harry as the young Potter dragged him to the room of Requirement where the Diggory's where waiting with Ghost Writer.

"LET ME OUUUUUUUT!" Ghost Writer wailed as they entered the room. Harry's eye twitched slightly.

"Ghost Writer," he uttered and Ghost Writer froze, eyes widening in horror. "Orange."

"NOOOOOOOOOO!"

Ghost Writer promptly curled up into a ball, twitching and sobbing. The Diggory's just stared in outright shock.

"Don't mind Ghost Writer," Harry stated, waving a hand dissmissingly. "He's actually here because he broke the Christmas Truce and this is his punishment."

"But what's with the hysterics?" Cedric mumbled, eyeing Ghost Writer warily. Was that what he'd be in a few years...? "I mean all you said is 'orange'..."

"NOOO NOTHING RHYMES WITH ORRAAHAAHAANGE!" Ghost Writer's sobbing began anew. Harry just smirked.

"He was defeated with that simple word," the teen uttered. Cedric frowned.

"But-" he started and Harry rolled his eyes.

"Alright, let me get this out of the way _right now!_" he said to the three Diggory's. "Every Ghost has a unique power all to themselves. Ghost Writer's just happens to be able to alter things with just his _writing_. Granted he needs his keyboard which is currently in ruins-"

_"My ke-he-he-heyboard!"_

"-but yeah. During Christmas this year he broke the Truce, which is a time when all Ghosts do not fight _at all_. He broke it by putting _everyone_ under a spell because one of his books was destroyed by an idiotic grump of a child!"

_"My only co-ho-ho-hopy!"_

"And so this is his punishment. Now..." Harry pushed Cedric forward, "I believed I promised one last chat?"

"Cedric?" Mrs. Diggory asked, tears in her eyes. "Is that...you?"

"Err..." Cedric winced slightly, blue eyes glancing at his parents. "Yes?"

"Oh my poor baby!"

"GAH!"

Harry smirked.

* * *

It had taken the young Potter quite literally one conversation with his relatives once he was picked up to convince them that a trip to Amity Park was a good idea. Of course once they got there the Dursley's immediately wanted to turn around.

After all, 'ghosts' weren't normal. Half-Ghosts fighting against an all-powerful idiot doubly more so. Harry was infuriated. He'd worked so hard to get to Daniel and now _this?_ No. Fucking. Way. He was _not_ letting that happen! EVER!

Of course just as he thought that (with glowing eyes and trembling body) did the world suddenly seem to forget about Daniel being Danny Phantom. As for the Dursley's...? They didn't appear to notice all the ghosts.

Harry was really curious as to just _what_ Daniel had done. All he could get where glimpses of something about ghost-envy and something about a 'ringmaster of all reality'. It made him twitchy, because if there was one thing Harry really didn't like...it was _not_ knowing what the hell just happened.

Fred and George thankfully decided that vacationing in Amity was a good idea.

* * *

Harry had taken a week of settling into Amity before confronting Daniel's adopted family, the Fenton's. He truthfully had needed the week for the bond, which had strengthened and stabilised a bit more by simply _being_ in Amity, to settle from it's fluctuating state.

Licking his lips the teen started towards FentonWorks which was surprisingly a block away. It was almost as if no time had passed once he'd stepped down from the stoop of where the Dursley's had decided upon staying that he stood on the front steps of FentonWorks. He was frozen. He couldn't move.

_Why_ was he so nervous? He was Clockwork! Master of Time! Oooh, he should definitely add that to when he introduced himself...but that was getting off topic. He didn't _get_ nervous!

"Can I help you...?"

Harry jumped, green eyes widening in shock as he whirled around. One hand was clenching his chest tightly as his breath had quickened. For a minute he _swore_ he'd heard the one-

"Uhm...you okay?"

It was Daniel.

"Fine," Harry croaked out slightly, forcing himself to relax. "You just...surprised me, is all."

Daniel frowned slightly and shrugged, "Oh, well, uhm, sorry. Why are you standing out here? You lost?"

Harry frowned, "No...unless this _isn't_ FentonWorks."

Daniel sighed, "No, it is...you want mom and dad then?"

"Ah...yeah...thanks?"

_Gosh dammit Potter get a hold of yourself!_

"Yeah, yeah, come on in," Daniel mumbled, opening the door. "MOM! DAD! SOMEONE HERE TO SEE YOU!" He paused and then glanced back at Harry. "Just to forewarn you my parents are...odd."

Harry just blinked, as if not quite registering what was said. At least that was until a loud yell sounded throughout the house.

"GHOST! Eat Fenton Extractor!"

Harry jumped and immediately ducked behind the couch, heart hammering.

"Where did he go?"

"Dad! He's not a ghost! He came here looking for-"

"Oi, Harry, mate?" two red headed heads popped past the door to the house suddenly. They arched eyebrows at the yelling father and son pair and the crouching Harry before saying, "We thought we should mention that creep you said to watch out for? He's in town."

Harry whimpered.

"Does anyone have a thermos?" he asked, weakly, and the whole house seemed to pause.

"SO YOU'RE TURNING YOURSELF IN, GHOST?"

Harry shrieked and ducked back behind the couch.

Daniel just groaned.

* * *

It had taken five minutes, with the twins swiftly putting an end to Jack Fenton's antics by pulling Harry into a quick hug (Fred had handed the boy a thermos which he began to shake viciously) which was when Maddie entered the room and told Daniel his friends were upstairs waiting for him.

She promptly dropped her plate of cookies when she saw Harry's face, weakly asking, "James?" to which Harry frowned and looked up at her with _green_ eyes and not James' brown.

"I'm Harry Potter," he uttered, and Daniel who was almost to the top of the stairs froze at the sudden encompassing silence that had befallen the house.

Maddie then said, almost hesistant, "We...we were told you died," and Daniel decided maybe eavesdropping would be a good idea. He didn't like the scared tone his mother was using.

"Well I was left with the mere idea that I was an only child," Harry replied bluntly. "I would've remained in such ignorance if I _hadn't_ been randomly electrocuted horribly September 14th."

Daniel felt himself still in shock as Maddie whispered, "That was when...Danny...had the accident...!"

"Exactly."

Daniel disappeared up the stairs, eyes wide.

* * *

"But then..."

Harry closed his eyes at Maddie's disbelieving gaze, "Our _bond_ which had previous been stretched thin began to _fray._ I was hit with the backlash of what Daniel felt. I could have _died_ if I wasn't friends with one of these two...they helped stabilize the bond enough for me to function."

"It hasn't come without consequences," Fred uttered from beside Harry who was still cocooned in George's arms. "Harry has been slowly getting less and less stable throughout the year. It's been little things but...it's enough that we were entirely relieved when we were able to discover where Daniel was living."

"We were told he'd died," Maddie murmured. "Why would...why would they-"

"It doesn't matter," Fred interrupted. "What matters is, is that he is alive. And he needs his younger brother. Their bond is still freyed enough that it poses a threat to them both."

"Danny doesn't even _know_!" Maddie whispered, almost brokenly. "How...how can we tell him he has a twin brother? Let alone that we adopted him!"

* * *

Upstairs Danny, Sam, and Tucker all decided that heading to the Nasty Burger was a good idea. The trio had just began making their way downstairs as Harry spoke up.

"Please, I'm _begging_ you and these two can attest that I never beg," Harry murmured.

"Yeah, he rarely ever shows emotion _except_ since the 14th. Since then he's been all over the map, and it's very frustrating!" George sighed and Fred shot him a reprimanding look.

"Uh mom?" Danny interrupted the group, eyeing Harry warily. "Sam, Tuck and I are going to the Nasty Burger," Harry shuddered rather suddenly and Danny's eyes rose but he plowed on, "So...yeah. Bye!"

The trio dashed out the door.

Harry's gaze lingered on Danny for a minute before snapping back to Maddie, "Also I need to access your Portal to the Ghost Zone."

"What?"

"I have something I need to do. Well, return actually. And not a 'thing' rather a 'who' but that's just technicalities."

* * *

It had taken about fifteen minutes of Harry explaining who Ghost Writer was, why Ghost Writer was in his possession, and that not all ghosts are evil as in fact the ghosts in the Ghost Zone could be classified as another species entirely.

"After all," Harry explained calmly, "a 'ghost' as you know it would technically be what is known as an 'echo' meaning an afterimage of a person departed. True Ghosts are just another form of life that some humans have the capability to become for, like humans, they too can procreate."

It definitely gave the Fenton's a different perspective on what they had known as fact. However they did afterward give Harry access to their Portal with the promise to use the Ecto-Blasters if they got into any trouble. And after having forced the Twins to swear not to leave him alone.

He was just fourteen after all. The twins were seventeen.

Harry had calmly dragged Ghost Writer by his scarf back into the house and down into the basement with the twins following. They borrowed the Specter Speeder and hightailed it to the Tower.

"The Library is through that door," Harry told Ghost Writer the minute they entered the lair. Ghost Writer bolted. The young Potter rolled his eyes and with a flash of purple rings the teenaged Clockwork stood.

He staggered for a minute on weak legs before straightning and heading right towards the Thermos that housed Dan. From by the viewing screens the clone Clockwork arched an eyebrow.

"Hello Dan," Clockwork murmured, picking up the Thermos. "How is being trapped doing for you?"

_"Let me out and I'll tell you face to face!"_

Clockwork calmly shook the thermos.

_"OUCH! Dammit that hurts! Stop! STOP!"_

"Don't touch me ever again, bitch," was the snarled response, Clockwork's own eyes glowing maliciously.

_"But your such a-OH FUCK! STOP STOP STOP! GAARHHH!"_

Clockwork grinned, body relaxing as Dan's screams washed over him.

"Do you find this creepy, oh brother of mine?" George asked the elder twin hesitantly.

"Yeah..." Fred twitched slightly. "I don't think it helps that his face shows pure bliss...and really the hand movement is like, you know, _beating the stick_ eh?"

George's face twisted slightly at the thought.

"I can hear you, you know," Clockwork uttered, setting the thermos back down. He calmly walked over to the two, gaze curious. "What does 'beating the stick' mean anyway?"

The clone turned green and darted to the bathroom.

"You don't wanna know," the Twins murmured.

* * *

"Uhm, this doesn't look good?" Fred asked Clockwork, the clone, a minute later. The teenaged Clockwork blinked and then narrowed red eyes while the clone sighed.

"Now look what you've done," he uttered to Fred.

"I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU TO TELL ME IF HE EVER SHOWED UP!" Clockwork roared suddenly. Fred's eyes widened and with a quick glance to George they began running. "GET BACK HERE YOU TWO! I'M GOING TO CHOKE YOU UNTIL YOU CAN'T BREATHE!"

_Crash!_

"HEY! I just _cleaned_ that!"

"_SHUT UP CEDRIC!_"

Cedric frowned and then plopped himself down into a corner with a sigh.

"I hate you," he told the clone bitterly.

The Clockwork clone actually face-palmed.

* * *

Danny entered an eerily silent Tower. It was eerie because normally he could hear even the clock's ticking on the walls. Now he couldn't. Hesitantly he entered the Master of Time's lair and made his way to the giant foyer that held all the screens Clockwork watched time from.

"Daniel," Clockwork greeted, eyes not once gazing from the screens.

"Clockwork!"

"I'm sorry," the Master of Time uttered, gaze now shifting to the young Phantom.

"Please!" Danny begged. "You can change it! You can save the-"

"FRED, GEORGE GET BACK HERE SO I CAN STRANGLE YOU!"

The sound was so abrupt that Danny fell over and Clockwork winced.

"Uh, what was-"

"You know what," Clockwork murmured, "never mind. Go. Change it. I don't care. Maybe it'll prevent _this_-"

"EXCUSE US SO SORRY!" two red headed blurs that Danny was _sure _he'd seen in FentonWorks recently darted past, followed quickly by a terrified ghost he'd never seen and then Ghost Writer.

"GRAH! I TOLD YOU TO TELL ME IF HE EVER SHOWED HIS FACE AND I AM GOING TO MAKE YOU PAY!"

Danny's eyes widened as what could only be Clockwork, as a _teenager_, entered the room and begun running. Said teenaged Clockwork that Danny was so sure he'd seen before (chocking Ghost Writer if he remembered right) suddenly tripped and fell flat on his face.

Clockwork, the elder, sighed and helped the teen up.

"We are so hemming this cloak," the teen uttered, eyes darkening.

"No, we are not," Clockwork uttered, with a roll of his eyes. "And the cloak did not trip you."

"Well if you would just use these damn things more!" the teen pouted, pointing to his legs.

"_I_ am not the one to blame," the elder pointed out.

"_You_ are too!"

"We are not having this argument."

"YES WE ARE!"

The teen suddenly launched himself at the older version and Danny was witness to something _no one_ had ever seen.

Clockwork wrestling with himself.

_"Yahoo! Keep it up boys, I __**really**__ like this image!"_ was suddenly shouted from the thermos. Both Clockwork's froze, and then in tandem turned to the thermos, pale as they could get and slightly green.

"SHUT UP DAN!" they roared together.

_"What?"_

"DO YOU WANT THE THERMOS TO BE SHAKEN?"

_"Fine."_ There was a pause before, _"But it IS nice."_

The elder and teen winced in unison.

Danny, who was watching the whole thing in thinly veiled shock, finally asked, "Wh-What is going on?"

The two Clockwork's glanced at Danny, then at each other, then back to Danny.

"We'll explain later," the teen uttered. "You have something to get to and I...have some people to payback."

He was up and running in seconds with the elder Clockwork sighing.

"Clock-"

"Just...go," Clockwork sighed and shoved Danny through one of the screens. Once he was alone, with blissful silence, did he relax.

Until a horrified scream from Ghost Writer wound up and then he massaged his temples in annoyance.

"Is it possible to hate myself...?" he mused softly.

_"NOOOOOOO!"_

_"Whoops."_

_"I JUST CLEANED THAT!"_

_"DIE ALREADY!"_

_"AHHH!"_

* * *

_**ONWARDS TO THE AUTHORTS!**_

_Yeah. Uh, just...yeah. No explanation for this. Really. Enjoy?_

_Edit: beta'd by FlyonSilverWings_


	9. Chapter 8: A Masterful Dislike

**Of Lightning Bolts, Half-Ghosts & Time Pieces  
**_By Twin Kats  
**Beta'd by FlyonSilverWings **_

_Chapter Eight  
_**A Masterful Dislike**

It had taken the clone about five minutes of watching the screens after Danny left before he found he could watch no more. With a groan and a bitter taste in his mouth he instead hunted down himself, Ghost Writer, those twins, and Cedric. It was too quiet.

Which he saw why soon enough. Cedric was silently sobbing in a corner about the mess that Ghost Writer and those twins were able to somehow cause. The teenage Clockwork however was collapsed in the corner with Ghost Writer sprawled across his lap, dizzy.

Somehow he figured he _really_ didn't want to know.

"This...is the final straw," he found himself saying anyway. "You three...go _home_. Now."

Fred and George, who were sprawled over to the furthest side glanced at one another before quickly scrambling up and racing over to help Clockwork. Thankfully neither versions of Clockwork truly noticed just where exactly Ghost Writer ended up sprawled over.

The duo dusted their younger friend off and with near silent prompting and a flash of purple rings the teenage Clockwork reverted to Harry Potter. Harry dizzily put his hand to his head for a minute before regaining his bearings. Then he just nodded to Clockwork, the clone, and headed off for the Speeder with cloudy vision.

He _was_ Seeing first hand just _what _Daniel was getting up to.

Ghost Writer followed them at a respective distance with a thoughtful gaze.

Clockwork, the clone, sighed.

* * *

Harry and the Weasley Twins pulled the Specter Speeder out of the Ghost Zone and disembarked with content sighs. It was nice, in Harry's opinion, to be amongst the familiar green swirls. The Twins just liked the adventure that came and where happy Harry was no longer trying to choke them to death. That is until Maddie came up to them and gave them hazmat suits.

"I'm sorry, we forgot you borrowed the Speeder!" she said in a rush. "However we have a contamination issue-"

Harry frowned at the suit and then glanced at the plastic covered area and almost sighed once more.

"You do know the only one remotely 'contagious' happens to be Masters," he uttered, "and he's only 'contagious' as long as he chooses to be?"

"What? How do you-"

Harry's lips twitched wryly as he said, "One of those Ghosts that aren't 'evil' but instead tend to look out for the good of both worlds."

Maddie seemed to pause before shoving the hazmat suits at them again, "Well I don't want to risk it just yet, okay sweetie?"

Harry accepted the suit the with a roll of his eyes knowing that everything would be fine in a few hours. After all he had a feeling Danny would know _what_ caused this in the first place.

"GHOST!" Jack yelled suddenly and Harry glanced around confused. That is until he saw what got Jack in a fit.

Ghost Writer stood by the Portal, looking nervously at the lab.

Harry groaned.

* * *

"Why did you follow us _back_?" the teen whined and Ghost Writer frowned.

"I...you intrigue me?" he murmured, tone pitching as if not quite sure. "My library can take care of itself for a while," he added assuredly, "and my Keyboard still isn't in good working order so..."

"You thought you'd 'stalk' me," the teen grumped, arms cross and posture slumped as he glared at Masters who was currently, thankfully, unconscious.

"Well...it seemed like a good idea at the time!" Ghost Writer defended.

"Put one toe out of line," Harry growled, "and I'm reducing you back to a blubbering mess."

The Writer winced, but nodded his assent.

* * *

Danny did come back, although he was rather confused that the two humans and that teenage Clockwork were no longer at the Tower. Clockwork just sighed and pushed him out the door gently, ignoring Cedric's curses about having a whole mess to clean up (and the _only_ reason why Danny didn't think the whole thing was a hallucination) and calmly told the young Phantom that, "everything will reveal itself in _time_," before slamming the door in his face.

Danny had begrudgingly made his way back to the Fenton Portal after that rather abrupt dismissal only to, once he'd zoomed upstairs invisible and intangible, be surprised at finding those red headed twins, that boy Harry, and _Ghost Writer_ sitting or helping amidst the chaos of his _dying_ friends.

Frowning, but knowing that he didn't have much _time_ (it was, strangely, a novel feeling but he didn't know why) he quickly proposed the suggestion that _maybe those impurities were cola? _Before he turned towards the odd quartet with a frown on his face.

"Why are you here, and why haven't my mom and dad reacted?" Danny asked in an undertone. Ghost Writer glared, lip pulling up in an angry snarl when that Harry kid placed a warning hand on his shoulder.

"_Remember_ what happened last time you lost your temper?" he murmured and Danny could briefly see a look of pure _terror_ pass of Ghost Writers face before he turned away. Harry then turned to Danny and said, "I sort of came to partially meet your mom and dad, and request use of your portal to return him," he jerked his head at Ghost Writer who scowled, "back to his Library."

"Uh, and my parents let you?" Danny blinked. "And didn't shoot him? And why was he with you? And why is he back?"

"Well mate," Fred said cheerfully, wrapping one arm around Danny's shoulder.

"We can tell you that," George finished, wrapping another arm around Danny's shoulder.

"Seeing as we're seventeen and all, we accompanied young Harry here on his quest," Fred uttered.

"And apparently this old chap," George motioned towards Ghost Writer, "did something during Christmas to which Harry got put in charge of his punishment."

"Orange?" Fred offered the fruit with one hand, grinning.

Ghost Writer almost _shrieked_ just as Masters woke up and quickly hid himself behind Harry uttering, "Keep that thing _away_ from me!"

"I was taking him back to the Ghost Zone today," Harry shrugged, "but he followed us out again. As long as he _behaves_ I see no problem with it." Harry shot a glare at the Writer who whimpered slightly.

"Uh...okay," Danny murmured just as Masters yelped and squealed something about ghosts.

"Oh he's fine," Maddie cheerfully waved a hand dismissively. "Harry's got him under control."

_"HEY!"_

* * *

"Oh never mind!" Ghost Writer groaned, tossing his hands up. He'd given up explaining just _why_ Harry did not 'have him under control' after the fifth time his argument was defeated. "I'm just glad you're not as deliriously insane," he added under his breath.

Harry blinked and replied, "Glowing, green, swirling mass. Oh, and that thermos. Good for the soul, really, shaking those things."

The Writer blinked and eyed the teen warily before sitting himself back down on a random bench. Vlad had watched the entire exchange with very wide and confused eyes. Pure and genuine, Harry found, but still disgusting all the same.

"How-Why-When did you change your view on ghosts?" the elder man asked, shocked.

"Oh Vladdie!" Jack grinned. "We just had a lovely conversation with Harry here!" Jack moved to grab Harry and drag him closer but the teen dodged, body stiff. "Harry?"

"Don't touch me," he uttered, eyes wide. "And _don't_ bring me near _him!_"

Danny smirked, shooting Vlad a grin as if to say 'hah! he's so totally on to you!' to the elder. Harry's eye was twitching.

"Harry-kins," George grinned, sidling up to the young Potter.

"We're sorry to say," Fred continued, dragging Harry back with George.

"That we have to depart," George continued.

"It's getting late you see and-"

"-well we don't want a repeat of the bars on windows incident-"

"-or the letters incident-"

"-or the cat flap incident-"

"-or the pig incident-"

"-_or the toffee incident_," the two finished together.

"The toffee incident is entirely on your heads," Harry uttered blandly.

"True," Fred shrugged, "but he deserved it. Anyway-"

"-we should really get Harry home," George finished.

Maddie frowned softly, "Well...I suppose you're right."

Jack grinned and added, "Hey Mads! Why don't you invite them over to dinner! Surely Harry's family wouldn't-"

"NO!" Harry yelled, suddenly and forcefully, eyes wide. The entire group froze and the teen blushed scarlet. "I-I mean it's just that the Dursley's-that is to say my family-they well...don't exactly like me. Or anything to do with me."

"Harry, they hate your guts," Fred murmured.

"Fat cows," George grumbled.

Writer watched it all like a strange tennis match from beside Danny.

Maddie frowned as she puzzled it out before grinning, "Well that's alright! No need to invite them then is it? Besides I never really liked Petunia anyway. Too much of a gossip and so little taste!"

"Uh, okay?"

"Tomorrow then, sweetie! And stay safe!"

Harry was led from the house dazed by Fred and George with Ghost Writer trailing behind, green eyes thoughtful. When they reached the stoop of where the Dursleys had decided upon staying the teen turned and gazed up at Fred and George.

"What just happened?"

* * *

_**Onwards to the Authors Note!**_

_I swear, if I can't stop pacing and can't stop __**thinking**__ long enough to write I'm going to scream. Seriously. This was a bitch to get out because my head is thinking up so many scenarios that will happen __**later**__! Gaaaah, focus on __**now**__ brain!_

_I'm about ready to go apeshit on this story! Gods I can't wait until I can dress up as Clockwork tonight and have fun at that haunted old school house with everyone else! Then I won't have to deal with Miss Over Active Imagination here thinking up the things I don't want to be thinking when I'm writing the stuff leading __**up**__ to it! Guh, I hate my brain sometimes._

_Yeah, so sorry for the crappy chapter. It just...my head wants me to jumpstart into some possible ideas. Like Vlad getting blamed for Harry's "urk" towards relationships and Jack & Maddie thinking he __**molested**__ Danny and that's why Harry's all like that. Considering Harry blames him anyway for Dan's actions, really. Well sorta. And Harry does have the __**bond**__ with Danny that's let him See stuff for a while._

_Granted that __**might not**__ happen. It's debatable and depends once I get my head on straight. Damn head._

_Edit: beta'd by FlyonSilverWings_


	10. Chapter 9: Knowing Everything

**Of Lightning Bolts, Half-Ghosts & Time Pieces  
**_By Twin Kats  
**Beta'd by FlyonSilverWings **_

_Chapter Nine  
_**Knowing Everything**

Harry pulled his pajama shirt down over his head and glanced over at Ghost Writer who was scribbling in a small notebook with a frown on his face. Green eyes were narrowed in concentration and the ghostly glow actually diminished around the man. Harry wondered, briefly, how he did that before shoving it under the proverbial rug.

Not everyone had powers over time and could actually formulate their own birth after all, so maybe a ghost _could_ make themselves look human?

Of course Harry promptly forgot what he was thinking about a moment later and instead asked, "Writing a novel?"

Ghost Writer's head jerked up, green eyes widening before snapping the notebooks shut and was that a faint blush? Either way the Writer's book and pen vanished as his gaze shifted away from Harry's face.

"Sorry," 'Writer murmured. "I was just...taking notes, I guess. Haven't been to the Human World in quite a while."

"Ah." Harry turned and glanced at the bed and then back at the Writer. "You can share my bed, you know. I won't mind. S'better then sleeping on the floor, eh?"

There was a moments pause before, "You trust me that close?"

Harry blinked, "You are The Scribe, Keeper of the Scrolls, are you not?" Ghost Writer's eyes widened slightly. "Otherwise I'm pretty sure you wouldn't have that Quantum Keyboard."

"You-You knew?"

Harry shrugged slightly and said, "Sort of. A feeling, I guess. Tend to have quite a few of them...and I just _know_ stuff without really understanding it. Like Clockwork."

"Oh?"

"I _know_ he's me but not. I also know that the Tower is my lair, but I don't know _why_ or _how_ or even the facts on that there are two of me running around. I _know_ I have some sort of job but I don't worry about it. I also _know_ that there is someone who is feared known as Pariah, but I don't know why or who he is or even why he's not around. Not exactly."

Ghost Writer's brow furrowed and he uttered, "Basically bits of you are bleeding through, when they shouldn't. Bits of who you _are_ when in the Ghost Zone, what you know when Ghost, but not what you are supposed to know as Human."

"Yes," the teen murmured. "I...don't know why, but it doesn't seem to be a problem."

Ghost Writer nodded to himself, brow still furrowed, as Harry settled down into the bed. The teen jumped slightly when the Writer disappeared only to reappear curled up behind him.

"And yes, I think I'll join you," he murmured, keeping a respectful distance. "The bed _is_ better than the floor."

* * *

The next day Maddie and Jack were actually quite nervous and anyone that knew them remotely well (such as their children or Vlad) could tell just how nervous they were. Jazz was even on edge and Vlad was trying to weasel out of Danny just _what _was so special about this 'Harry kid' anyway.

He was getting really annoyed that Danny did not seem to know _anything_.

"Mom? Dad?" Jazz asked, glancing at her parents. "I'm gonna go see if I can find those twins and let them know what time dinner will be, alright?"

"Thank you, Jazzy-pants!" Jack grinned enthusiastically as Jazz slipped on her shoes.

"Danny can you help me in the kitchen?" Maddie asked, poking her head out of the kitchen suddenly.

Danny, who was heading up to his room, blinked before replying, "Uh, sure."

"Great! Thanks sweetheart!" Maddie ducked back into the kitchen and Danny followed.

"Maddie, love, I could help too," Vlad said, standing to go help, but Jack placed a hand on his shoulder and held him in place.

"C'mon V-man! Let Maddie and Danny have their bonding time. I want to show you the Fenton Fisher!"

"Er, Jack, my old friend-" Vlad started but found himself led away without consent, fists clenched tightly.

* * *

Danny entered the kitchen to see that Maddie hadn't even started cooking. Instead she was staring at the counter-tops with a frown on her face.

"Mom?"

Maddie jumped and whirled around. Upon seeing Danny she promptly laughed and waved her hand, forced smile on her face.

"Oh Danny! Don't sneak up on me like that! Hahaha."

"Mom, what...what's wrong?" Danny asked, now really worried. It was bad enough that Vlad was still here, despite having quite literally been kicked onto the curb, but his parents had been on edge all day and now this?

Maddie sighed and pulled out a chair for Danny, violet eyes sad.

"Danny, sit down," she said softly. "By now Jack should be distracting Vlad so that you and I can talk..."

"Mom what is this about?" Danny bit his lip, nervously sitting down. Did his parents know? Did they remember the Reality Gauntlet? What was going on?

"Sweetheart...understand we never really wanted to keep this from you," Maddie started out, "but...well, we didn't realize...oh damn it!"

Danny started, rather surprised that Maddie had sworn, and blinked.

"You remember Harry?" she asked after a minute, not once looking him in the eye. Danny nodded slowly. "Your father and I knew his parents, or well...his mother, really, seeing as we didn't know James all that well," Maddie plowed on. "About...thirteen years ago we got news that they'd...died. Gas explosion, destroyed the whole house..." Maddie sighed softly. "We were told there was only one survivor, their youngest son."

"So that's why he came here?" Danny asked. "'Cuz you knew his parents?"

Maddie shook her head slightly, "Danny, let me finish." Danny bit his lip but nodded. "As Jack and I knew Lily quite well we were named Godparents to one of their boys; if anything where to happen to them or their original choice their children were to go to us."

Danny began to pale. He had a really bad feeling in his gut.

"A friend of their's brought over their youngest," Maddie stated, tears in her eyes, "and told us what happened. He said there were no survivors except that beautiful little boy...Jack and I swore to raise him as our own, to honor his parents memory...that beautiful little boy, all alone..."

"Did he die?" Danny asked, hesitant. "I mean I don't have a brother, so he must've died, right? And now you have to tell Harry?"

"Danny, no," Maddie shook her head and then grabbed Danny's hand, "_you_ are that little boy. Harry is your elder brother, your _twin_ brother."

Danny pulled his hand back, shaking his head and uttering sharply, "You're wrong! You can't-why wouldn't you have told me _before?_"

"Danny we planned to tell you when you were sixteen! We had thought Harry was _dead!_ We wanted you to grow up loved and have a family-we were going to tell you I swear! Honey, please!"

"Mo-no...you're not my mom!" Danny shook his head, shocked. "You-you're...why didn't you_ tell_ me!"

"Well I can tell you it _wasn't_ because she wanted to use you as a weapon, that's for damned sure."

Danny whirled around to see Harry standing in the doorway, staring at him.

"YOU!"

"Harry?" Maddie murmured, shocked.

"I could feel your anger," Harry stated, running a hand through his hair. "I actually came over here to figure out what the threat was and then to disembowel them, but imagine my surprise to see it's just...finding out everything that was kept from _both_ of us."

Danny felt his sudden anger deflate to confusion. "Felt? And...you didn't know?"

Harry snorted, "Like the Dursley's would ever tell me."

"What did you mean weapon?" Maddie yelled suddenly and Harry's eyes widened.

"I...said that? Oops?"

Danny could see a rather familiar half-smirk on the teen's face despite how 'innocent' he was trying to look. Somehow he just knew, in that moment, that whoever planned this lovely thing better watch out because Maddie Fenton was furious.

And a furious Maddie Fenton was a _even more_ _dangerous_ Maddie Fenton.

* * *

Danny was actually surprised-no, wait, that was a lie. Somehow he _wasn't_ surprised at all that Harry had quite viciously and effectively destroyed his anger only to turn around and destroy the anger Maddie was feeling next. Maddie had then sent them both up to Danny's room saying they should talk and that Harry could honestly explain some things better.

He agreed but only because he really wanted answers.

"Okay, who are you?"

Harry rolled his eyes slightly and then stated, "Harry James Potter, your _older_ twin brother."

"No I mean...that...smirk," Danny stated, frowning. "It's...it's really familiar. _You're_ familiar like...I've seen you before...?"

Harry half-smirked at Danny again, "You're asking for ending without knowing the beginning, Daniel. There are _much_ more important things that how you might _possibly_ know me if you'll let me explain."

Danny frowned and snorted, crossing his arms, "Fine, but don't call me Daniel! It's Danny!"

Harry nodded, shooting the teen a sheepish smile, "Sorry, I mean...I've _heard_ everyone call you Danny it's just...well maybe I should explain everything else and it'll make more sense..." he frowned before continuing. "Right. So...twins have this bond."

"You're going to lecture aren't you," Danny deadpanned.

"It'll explain _everything!_" Harry pouted. "Seriously! Like why I wanted to disembowel whoever was pissing you off and stuff I mean it!" Danny was the one who smirked this time and Harry scowled. "Brat," he mumbled but continued, "as I was _saying_ twins naturally have a bond. When we're babies we _need_ to be close or the bond could fracture badly."

"Isn't that made-up mumbo jumbo though?" Danny blinked, curious despite his disbelief.

"You believe in ghosts," Harry stated bluntly, face blank, and Danny winced. "_We_ were forced into a separation by a manipulative old goat faced _pansy_ who saw me as nothing more than a weapon and you as possible collateral."

"_What?_"

"Exactly," Harry sighed, running a hand through his hair. "When we were one a madman came to kill us; he would have succeeded if mom didn't sacrifice herself. That sacrifice, and I think the fact that I'm...sort of me yet not is what saved our life." Danny was gaping. "I'll explain more on that in a minute. Basically his attempt to kill us ended with the house exploding and him disappearing. Crazy goat sent you here and claimed me dead, while sending me to our Aunt and never telling me of your existence. Our bond stretched, frayed a little, but stabilized enough that we could live. Granted it caused me to...I guess you could say _bleed_ personality traits."

"What does that mean?" Danny blinked.

"I grew up in an unloving environment, part of who I really am leaked through as a defense," Harry deadpanned. "However we were stable, that is until your 'accident' in September."

"You...know?" Danny asked weakly and Harry stared at him, his gaze suddenly years older but _understanding_ as he uttered, "I _know_," and then shifted in a flash of purple rings into the teenage Clockwork.

Danny's eyes were wide as the teen Clockwork smirked and uttered, "Then again, I know everything."

* * *

_**ONWARDS TO THE AUTHORS NOTE!**_

_Yeah...this went differently then I imagined...Excuse me while I wonder off to bang my head against a wall. __**Why**__ am I sucking at the seriousness all of a sudden? __**WHY**__?_

_Guh, I blame Danny. It's like...instantly all the humor gets sucked away into serious stuff when Danny needs to understand things. Oh well, humor will come back. Soon. Maybe. After the party it's in._

_Stupid party. It stole my humor from me, I swear! I WANT IT BACK PARTY YOU HERE? SOON!_

_Yeah...I got nothin'_

_Enjoy?_

_Edit: beta'd by FlyonSilverWings_


	11. Chapter 10: Dinner With Vlad

**Of Lightning Bolts, Half-Ghosts & Time Pieces  
**_By Twin Kats  
**Beta'd by FlyonSilverWings **_

_Chapter Ten  
_**Dinner With Vlad**

_"I grew up in an unloving environment, part of who I really am leaked through as a defense," Harry deadpanned. "However we were stable, that is until your 'accident' in September."_

_"You...know?" Danny asked weakly and Harry stared at him, his gaze suddenly years older but __**understanding**__ as he uttered, "I __**know**_**,**_" and then shifted in a flash of purple rings into the teenage Clockwork._

_Danny's eyes were wide as the teen Clockwork smirked and uttered, "Then again, I know everything."_

* * *

"Clock...work?" Danny breathed and collapsed on his bed, eyes wide.

A secondary flash of purple rings and Harry once more stood instead of Clockwork. He turned his head away, green eyes darkening in thought of just _how_ to explain this despite not even really _knowing_ what the hell he'd done.

"In a way I guess I am him," the teen murmured, "but at the same time I am not." He bit his lip. "I'm a halfa, like yourself Danie-Danny. A human ghost hybrid."

"But...how?" Danny stared at Harry, wanting to know. Needing to know. How could this have happened?

"Our bond," Harry uttered, turning back towards his twin. "When one twin is threatened so daringly as you were-so..._painfully_ that death is almost certain the other will get a sort of backlash. The backlash of your accident pretty much tore me in half. The bits of who I was that were bleeding through formed into the ghost half."

"Who you were?"

"As human I am not Clockwork; I cannot See all of Time like he can," Harry uttered. "I may have a better understanding of Time or a natural inclination boost of abilities in it, sure, but I am not Clockwork. I do not oversee Time and likewise I do not _remember_ being Clockwork. You can say I am him before becoming him."

"Oh...does this happen often?" Danny wanted to know. "Or is this...like this is who you are before you end up becoming Clockwork forever type of thing. I mean uh..."

Harry's lips twitched upwards. "Is this my first life?"

"Yes! Wait...first?"

"The answer is no, this is not my first life," Harry replied. "However I cannot tell you how many lives I have lived previous as I truly do not know. Nor can I tell you how I have done this to myself or why, granted I _do_ get the feeling that I was literally going crazy from sheer...uh, boredom? Yeah, boredom."

Danny blinked as the words went through his skull for a minute. Then he began to laugh uproariously.

"You-You-You became _human_ because you were _bored!_ Hahaha!"

Harry pouted and muttered, "It's not funny!"

Danny just kept laughing.

* * *

The duo had hit it off admirably after that, Danny sharing stories of his childhood and Harry reiterating his own school days as well. When dinner was called they came down the stairs shoving and laughing like the brother's they really are. Fred and George couldn't let things be however and quickly wrapped one arm and each of the brothers and tugged them into a spot together. Harry in response poked Fred while Danny playfully punched George.

It was heartwarming to Maddie. However she just couldn't wait for the other shoe to drop. At least that is until Ghost Writer joined them at the table without an ethereal glow. He could, apparently, eat as well.

"And feel free to call me Writer," the Writer had uttered. "It is actually my name, as much as I despise Randy's teasing of it."

"That's a twin brother's duty," Harry pointed out. "Especially a younger twin to an older twin."

Writer twitched and said forcefully, "We're. Half. Brothers."

"De_ni_al," Harry hummed and Danny snickered.

* * *

Later that evening Harry had wanted to say dinner was a simple affair, but it was anything _but_ simple. Sitting at a table with Vlad would do that. After all one could see the curiosity shining in his blue eyes as he watched and pondered and probed Harry.

A thing Harry did not like.

Yes, Dinner was anything but simple and Harry was about ready to commit bloody murder by the end. He settled on sewing a little chaos instead.

* * *

The first bit of chaos caused was for Vlad's food to suddenly jump to life and attack him. Everyone at the table just sat in shock except Writer who sighed, pulled out his notebook and a green pen, and quickly jotted something down.

Vlad's food returned to normal but the sauce covering the billionaire remained.

"We're so sorry Vlad! We don't know what happened at all, but it was a good thing Writer reversed it, right?" Maddie said after a minute.

Writer glanced at Harry with a raised eyebrow. The teen just smirked into his cup in response.

* * *

The second bit of chaos was less subtle than a flying mallet. In fact it _was_ a flying mallet. Ten to be precise.

Writer closed his eyes, counted to ten, and grabbed his notebook and pen again. A few quickly written words and the mallets vanished into thin air, leaving a slightly bruised Vlad to sit back down.

"Now that is strange," Maddie murmured and glanced at Writer again.

"I'm not doing it," Ghost Writer uttered, rubbing his temples slightly. He glanced at Vlad and uttered, "Piss off any ghosts lately?" with a slightly sardonic grin.

Vlad's eyes narrowed and briefly glowed red.

Harry grinned into his cup.

* * *

The third bit of chaos was _extremely_ subtle, but obvious enough that Vlad fled the kitchen table in favor of the bathroom. Ghost Writer did not bother to end this bit of chaos at all.

In fact he agreed with Harry on this one fact: Vlad looked extremely silly racing off to the bathroom due to (surprise surprise) the hidden laxatives in his food. The clutching of his bum was a nice touch.

"Well..." Maddie frowned slightly, "I wonder just what is going on?"

The entire group shrugged until a screech was heard from upstairs.

"MY HAIR!"

Now even Maddie's lips twitched as she said, "What's going on indeed?"

Harry _knew_ he liked this women for a reason.

* * *

_**ONWARDS TO THE AUTHORS NOTE!**_

_Yes, Harry manipulated the food with telekinesis. And the mallets. And he stuck laxatives in Vlad's food after pausing time for just a second._

_Maddie secretly put hair remover in Vlad's shampoo._

_Still no idea what is going on with this story right now; it seems to have taken a rather filler-esque turn. Hopefully I'll be able to return to your regularly scheduled program here soon. Maybe after tea and I'm not feeling like an insomniac? Oh well._

_Enjoy~_

_Edit: beta'd by FlyonSilverWings_


	12. Chapter 11: He's A Bit You Know

**Of Lightning Bolts, Half-Ghosts & Time Peices  
**_By Twin Kats  
**Beta'd by FlyonSilverWings **_

_Chapter Eleven  
_**He's A Bit You Know**

Over the next week things had slowly settled down into a routine. The Weasley Twins would check in on Harry in the mornings (with the Dursley's who just ignored everything going on around them) and would sneak photo's of Harry and Ghost Writer snuggled up together unknowingly.

Well Ghost Writer knew if the glowing, green eyed glare was anything, but they left quickly after that anyway.

When Harry did wake up he'd end up over at the Fenton house and Maddie would give him breakfast with a big smile. Danny would come down the stairs sleepily and greet his twin brother (Jazz took the news rather well, unsurprisingly) and then they'd spend an hour or so just talking to one another.

Usually those meetings ended up with Harry chasing a laughing Danny through the house, out of the house, and then as a ghost all throughout the town whilst screaming about something or another. Ghost Writer would watch the entire exchange and then smack his head into the nearest object muttering about Randy and popcorn, or Randy and chocolate, or Randy and porno which strangely was the most often of the three.

Fred and George got that story out of the Writer and had learned that apparently _he_ was the one to 'invent' porn and his twin ("HALF BROTHER!") kept teasing him about it. Often. Especially when he found Writer's 'naughty stash' as it were. Writer swore he would've wrote porn out of history of Clockwork would let him.

Writer also claimed that he was one hundred percent sure the other ghost was a secret nymphomaniac and that his 'aversion' to such was just a front. Randy exclaimed the exact opposite claiming that it was Writer's fondest wish when it really wasn't and that the Time Master still hadn't mentally developed far enough for 'that' yet.

Clockwork never answered their not-so-secret struggle, instead preferring to toss either one of them out of his lair if they so much as brought the subject up.

Fred and George found themselves more inclined to agree with Randy's acclaimed view than Writer's.

Eventually Danny had asked Harry if he wanted to meet Sam and Tucker, his best friends. Harry readily agreed knowing that half of what had happened to either twin (since turning 14) could be pinned on one of those two.

It would be a moment that would be remembered by all of Amity Park _forever_.

* * *

"Harry are you nervous?" Danny asked, bouncing slightly as they made their way to the Nasty Burger (which still gave the twins a bit of a twitch knowing what it _could have_ caused) to meet Sam and Tucker. "I'm nervous. I really want you to like them see 'cuz they're my best friends and Sam is just well Sam and Tucker's a techno geek and they're not that easy to get along with or are you nervous? Am I making it worse? Gods I'm such a spaz!"

Harry rolled his eyes slightly heavenward and patted Danny on the shoulder, "It's okay," he said somewhat soothingly. "I'm not nervous, I've Seen them before, remember? I know we'll get along swimingly. Really. Calm down before you phase out of your pants _again!_"

Danny paused and then asked, voice pitched, "You...Saw that?"

Harry shot him a rather dry look and Danny sulked.

Five minutes later Danny was playing the 'ignore my twin with silence' game as they entered the Nasty Buger.

"Danny please! I said I'm sorry!" Harry was walking backwards, facing his twin who had his head turned away. "Really! So I manipulated things a bit, really, who wouldn't! The entertainment value was just too good to resist! And you know I wasn't stable then as I am now and really you _don't_ know how much worse it could've been and I-"

"Harry," Danny said and Harry froze.

"What?"

"Shut up," blue eyes glittered mischievously and lips pulled up into a smirk.

Harry scowled, "Brat," he muttered and promptly sat himself down in the corner of the booth staring at the wall.

Danny chuckled and sat down as well, continuing, "What I don't get is how you still remembered everything, let alone that you remember this _happening_ which I don't!"

Harry smirked, "I could share with you the memory," he nearly _leered_ and Danny winced.

"Ah..."

"And I remember because I literally am not affected by Desiree in any form," the teen sniffed slightly. He then frowned, "Although it was hard to explain to them why I needed one of the blasted twins around me at all times when _they didn't fucking know_." He scowled and shot Sam a slight glare saying, "I do blame you for that. Really." He was ginning a second later. "But it's in the past now, eh, Sam?"

"Uhm..."

"Ah, right, forgot you don't really know...I'm just the strange kid that showed up and was allowed to use the Fenton Portal," Harry nodded slightly. "Sorry I was a bit off then," he smiled apologetically, "still sorta regaining my sanity. I'm Harry Potter, the elder twin brother of this idiot." Harry tugged on Danny's shoulder.

"Hey!" Danny yelped.

"I already know Sam and Tucker, the continual glaring signs of why Danny has yet to fully go insane," Harry cheerfully continued.

"ARE NOT!"

"I also know every one of Danny's dark secrets-yes, Danny, even _that_," Harry shot Danny a look and the teen shut his mouth turning red, "as a big brother is supposed to know. Also having an 'in' into his head helps..."

Sam and Tucker were frozen in shock.

"Oh, right, I'm also _not_ pulling shit outta my ass and we're not related to Jack and Maddie Fenton in any form," Harry continued. "Danny was adopted after the explosion that took our parents when we were one. I was left with our hateful aunt and uncle led to believe I had no siblings until the 'accident' - again, thank you Sam - and Danny was given to our second Godparents who were told I perished. That about it, Danny?" Harry glanced at Danny and nodded. "Yeah, that's about it."

Danny groaned softly and counted down mentally until Sam and Tucker's rather predictable soon-to-come outburst.

_'Three...two...one...'_

"Danny does not have a twin brother!"

"Danny wasn't adopted!"

"We'll make sure you don't succeed in whatever you're planning you evil ghost!"

Danny's head hit the table.

"But I...oh fudge nuts. I think your nervousness did affect me after all, Danny," the teen muttered and then glanced at his brother who was trying to phase through the table. "Danny? Danny don't phase. Come on it's not that bad they just need a bit of persuasion. Danny what are you doing-DANNY!"

"GET BACK HERE HARRY SO I CAN RIP YOU A NEW ONE!"

"SO SORRY DON'T WANT TO GET MAULED TODAY!"

"GRAH DAMN KNOW IT ALL!"

"WHY YES I DO-OH GOD! WRITER! _HELP! HAHAHAHAHAA_"

Needless to say Sam and Tucker remained unconvinced until Harry shifted into Clockwork, although _that_ brought along several surprising revelations.

* * *

"Huh, your form changed."

"_WHAT!_" Clockwork leaped over to the newest mirror and stared at his image. Sure enough it had changed from a smaller appearance close to his 'adult' form into a definitely not-as-Clockwork-y form.

First of all his tunic had been traded out for a short sleeved shirt with a long sleeved fishnet underneath. His gloves had become 'fingerless' and his watches more like belts with clock motif's on them. His pants had turned into what were obviously baggy blue jeans that held a few chains hanging down, on those chains were actual clocks. His cloak settled around his shoulders and thankfully tended to cover his arms. His hood however tended to remain down showing off blue-ish-white-black-gray hair-he never really did understand why it couldn't stay in just one color but had to _cycle_. He had on combat boots too instead of just simple boots and even those weren't undamaged by the change. No they had _cogs _ attached and his pants had there own version of his new 'watches' as well!

"Are you into bondage?" Writer mumbled after a minute, taking in the new form appreciatively.

Clockwork chocked for a minute and then _screeched_ his red eyes going wide and his mouth falling agape.

_What had happened to him? He looked, looked, looked like a __**kid**__!_

"Could be the bond stabilizing," Fred uttered from a corner. George bit into an apple.

"Yeah, maybe it being unstable affected more than your sanity?"

Clockwork remained opened mouth, a broken half screech still falling from his lips as his fingers touched his face, his hair, his clothes, his pants...

"Dude what are you _doing?_" Tucker yelped.

Clockwork sighed and smiled, "Still the same. Thank _god_."

"Danny...I think your brother is a bit," Sam made the universal gesture for 'off his rocker' as Danny tried to ignore the fact that Clockwork had just unbelted his pants and peered down into them.

"Yeah...I know Sam. I know."

* * *

_**ONWARDS TO THE AUTHORS NOTE!**_

_What? A guys a guy and they __**do**__like their junk, right? Would you not be worried about your stuff if you suddenly went from just a mini-adult-you to an actually teenage you?_

_Clockwork was, although I'm pretty sure he doesn't know 'why' necessarily. Just that it was a concern. So he checked. No that doesn't mean he yanked his pants down. He just unbelted them and pulled them 'out' so that he could peer into the gap. He has more decorum than __**that**__ thankfully._

_Although now that I think about it Clocky mooning someone would be damn funny...oh Clockwork, you know I love you._

_Enjoy this bit of...madness. Next chapter things'll get back on track. Sorta._

_Edit: beta'd by FlyonSilverWings_


	13. Chapter 12: Kidnapping

**Of Lightning Bolts, Half-Ghosts & Time Pieces  
**_By Twin Kats  
**Beta'd by FlyonSilverWings **_

_Chapter Twelve  
_**Kidnapping**

After discovering the horrifying change in his appearance, Clockwork the ghostly teen wasn't feeling up for much at all, really. He was too much in shock so Danny maneuvered his twin up the stairs and into his bedroom with Writer following behind them both.

"Will you be alright?" Danny found himself asking.

"Go...have fun with them," Clockwork muttered, eyes still wide and Danny knew he wasn't all there, really. "Take Fred and George with you, please?"

Danny frowned and nodded, pausing only to ask Writer to keep an eye on his twin. He really did not like the disturbed feeling he was get - wait a minute...Danny's eyes narrowed as he shut the door to his bedroom. He's feeling what Clockwork was feeling - disturbed - did that mean this had happened before?

He thought for a second, casting his mind back, and landing on one of the _very_ strange days he had. It was when he decided to date Valarie. For some reason he had felt two conflicting sides of revulsion and horror, along with being extremely attracted - oh Clockwork is dead once he's feeling better.

_DEAD!_

Danny stormed off.

* * *

"Clock?" Writer asked after Danny had left. Clockwork looked up at him for a second but resumed tugging off his shirt. "What...are you doing?"

"Checking my Clock," the ghost muttered and then huffed when he couldn't pull the thing over his head. Writer rolled his eyes.

"Taking off the cloak might be a good start," he muttered and quickly unpinned the cog and pulled the cloak from Clockwork's shoulders. He then pulled the shirt up and over Clockwork's head and stepped back slightly, blinking in surprise.

"Hm, I think this is the first time I've had a shirt that didn't somehow attach to my Clock," Clockwork uttered, staring down at the fishnet which _covered_ the Clock in his chest. Frowning again he moved to tug that off but was stopped by Writer.

"The...bands," Writer pointed out and moved to tug the bands off of Clockwork's arms.

"Oh. Thanks," Clockwork replied and then proceeded to yank his shirt off. With nimble fingers he unfastened the latch on the door and pushed that aside. His head tilted slightly as he sightlessly maneuvered his hands in his chest, deftly touching hidden cogs and wheels. Feeling and checking mechanisms.

Writer really wanted to leave the room but he daren't leave the Time Master turned halfa alone. Especially not when said Time Master was not in his right mind and said Time Master's twin brother told him to keep an eye on him.

He just really wished the other ghost would _stop_ moving his hands like that.

"Whoah. What's going on in here?"

* * *

Danielle didn't expect much when she headed over to FentonWorks despite what her father said. Thus she was rather shocked by what she saw.

First of all apparently the Fenton's were insane enough to actually place a giant neon sign on their house. Made finding the place easier, sure, but it was disconcerting.

Next were the people Danielle saw in the room she was aiming for. Now she knew that her father said there was a ghost actually hanging around the FentonWorks home more often lately, and that there was a second teen who was being seen more frequently. In fact Danielle was wondering what her father meant by 'find out who that creep is and get him away from Daniel!' but she figured she'd work it out soon enough.

She was not expecting to enter a supposed to be empty bedroom only to find a ghost standing by the door with rosy red blushing cheeks, tugging on the scarf around his neck somewhat nervously, and a second ghost sitting on what she was sure was Danny's bed feeling up his own chest.

Which was apparently part clock. Go figure.

* * *

Clockwork's face didn't even twitch at Danielle's exclamation, although Ghost Writer jumped and hit the ceiling. Instead his lips twitched into a frown as he moved his hand slightly deeper into his chest, eyes narrowing before widening in slight surprise.

"Huh," he muttered, pulling his hands free from his Clock and rubbing his fingers together. "Well at least everything's in place. Just needs a bit of oiling." Said fingers glowed slightly as the ghost summoned ectoplasm and then replaced his hands back into his chest. "Oh and Danielle, please sit down. Danny should be back soon."

Danielle just blinked as Writer mumbled something into his scarf and grabbed his notebook and pen and began writing something down furiously, a bright red flush crossing his cheeks.

Clockwork just rolled his eyes and finished up messing with the gears in he chest before pulling his hands out, shaking them a bit, and then shutting the door. He yanked on his fishnet, glanced at the bands and narrowed his eyes. They glowed blue and floated up, snapping back into place. He then grabbed his shirt and tugged that on, then snapped his cloak into place.

Standing from the bed he walked over to an open mouthed Danielle, maneuvered her until she was sitting where he had previously been, and then went to rummaging through Danny's dresser drawer.

"I know he has it in here somewhere," the blue skinned teen muttered and then blinked, pulling forth a comic. He tossed it at Danielle and said, "Read that. Danny should be back relatively soon. Writer, let's go meet up with my disappearing brother, hm?" Clockwork paused, frowned, and then added, "Well...later. He's kinda upset with me..."

Writer grunted and followed the other ghost out of the room. Danielle stared after them with wide green eyes.

"That...was different."

* * *

"Trashing the Golf Course?"

Harry sighed as he came over the hill to see Tucker and Sam getting yelled at. He arched an eyebrow - where were Danny and the Weasley Twins? - before jogging up to the manager and touching the man's arm.

"Excuse me?"

"_What?_" the Manager snarled. Harry raised the other eyebrow at the man's tone.

"They are not responsible, sir," Harry uttered. "I really am sorry, however I will gladly offer you some help in fixing it up? If you could give me a second."

Tucker and Sam were gaping at him.

"How so?"

"I know two very strong and talented guys who would _gladly_ help you repair your golf course," Harry grinned darkly, fingers twitching slightly. Behind him Writer sighed and cracked his neck. "Fred and George Weasley; you'll find them right over that hill there. If you could also give them a message?"

The Manager looked skeptical but nodded slowly.

"Tell them I'm not happy they ditched Danny, thanks? Bye!"

With that Harry grabbed Sam and Tucker's arms and dragged them off followed shortly by Writer. He could faintly hear Fred and George's moans of despair wafting over the hill.

"Thanks man!" Tucker sighed after they were far enough away. "Dude, now I need a shower."

"Well let's head over to my place," Sam grinned. "We can rag on Danny for ditching us there, if you want?"

Harry just smirked slightly in between the two and uttered, "Feel free to do whatever it is you wish against my negligent twin, Sam, Tuck. He needs to learn the value of friends anyway. And he will...I _know_ he will. So hang on, kay?"

"Thanks Har," Sam smiled. "You know...you're not half bad. Wanna hang while we pretend to 'work' to Danny?"

Harry's eyes glowed mischievously in response.

* * *

That night as Harry settled into bed Ghost Writer was strangely absent. The teen shrugged and drifted off.

In the shadows Writer stayed, face a bright red as he stared at the teens sleeping form.

* * *

The following day was going to be full of action, Harry could just _taste_ it. Somehow. Despite that tasting action is strange he can. Really.

"Writer what are you doing?"

"Err..."

Writer quickly snapped his book shut and shot Harry a rather innocent smile, "Nothing, nothing!"

"You were writing porn again, weren't you."

The ghost phased through the floor out of embarrassment.

Harry just snickered as he made his way out of the house. Taste action _indeed_. Although he really couldn't fault the other; the day _was_ going to be quite action packed, of this he _knew_.

* * *

"Why do you guys hang out at the school in summer anyway?" Harry asked, biting into his apple at the cafeteria as Danny was nearly prostrating himself in apologies of leaving Sam and Tucker to rebuild the golf course. Fred and George were mysteriously absent, or well, not so mysteriously absent if you counted the fact that they were back at their flat moaning about aches and pains they never knew they could feel.

See if they ditch his brother without his express permission again! Ha!

"I dunno," Sam shrugged at the other teen. "Habit? And they do have a lot of neat little things to do here throughout the day. Seeing as Amity Park lacks a Rec center."

"Yeah," Tucker nodded, ignoring Danny's fourth round of platitudes. "Did we ever say thanks for the rescue yesterday, by the way?"

Harry smirked around his apple, leaning against the bench, and replied, "Nope, but none needed."

"What do you guys mean 'thanks for the rescue'?" Danny questioned, eyes narrowing.

"Just that your brother here showed up to help us out yesterday after you ditched us for this 'cousin' of yours," Sam sniffed imperiously.

"If you're trying for the 'rich kid sniff' stick your nose up a bit more, Sam," Harry pointed out and chewed off another bite of his apple.

Sam blushed, "Thanks, Har."

"Har?"

"Oh shush, twinny," Harry rolled his eyes. "She remains all yours."

_"WE'RE NOT DATING!"_

"That's what _you_ think," the green eyed boy muttered and, in tune with Tucker, both cleaned out their ears.

"Sheesh, do you have to be so loud?" Tucker grumbled. "Eugh."

Danny and Sam gave slightly sheepish grins in response which the other two boys just rolled their eyes to. Sam frowned after a minute, noting a distinct lack of ghost in their vicinity.

"Where'd Writer go?"

Harry shrugged, "Dunno. I caught him writing porn again and he sorta just...phased through the floor."

"What?" Sam shrieked and Harry blinked.

"You didn't know? He invented the stuff!" Harry stated, a big grin on his face. "Of course immediately after he wanted it erased from history but...well let's just say the Ghost Zone would be really overcrowded if that happened."

The three other teens' brains stuttered to a halt with that news. Danielle, who at this point in time was hiding beneath the table, popped up and asked, "What's porn?" to Harry.

"Well..." the teen began.

"NO!" Danny yelled, and quickly smashed Harry's head into the table. The other began to shout muffled complaints, struggling faintly against the younger twin's hold, but Danny ignored him. "I-It's nothing you n-need to know, Danielle, haha..."

Danielle frowned, still in her ghost form, and opened her mouth when Danny pulled her aside. Harry removed his face from the table taking in big gulping heaves of breath, lightly touched Sam and Tucker to make them briefly intangible, and then collapsed against the table and closed his eyes.

"Mmm...sleep," he mumbled, a slight smile coming to his face. He ignored the twitch of his Clock as the next ghost entered the room until Sam and Tucker were urging him to run off with them, or change and help Danny, in which Harry stood up, twitched his fingers, and then led the two calmly out of the lunch room.

"HARRY JAMES POTTER!"

He dragged the two other teens faster as Fred and George's furious yells began.

* * *

"Harry where are we going?" Tucker yelped.

"Yeah, man, slow down!" Sam gasped.

"No time, really," Harry stated. "We have to get to Danny before - oh hell..."

Harry skidded to a halt, Sam and Tucker running right into him from behind knocking all three of them into the pavement with grunts and groans. Harry wriggled his way out of their grasp and hollered to Danielle who stood beside Vlad Plasmius and a somewhat smoking Danny.

"Don't!"

Plasmius shot the teen a vicious glare as Danny collapsed, pulling him into his arms.

"Come, Danielle."

"Danielle don't-" Harry started, racing forward, but the girl didn't heed his warning and instead followed Plasmius into the sky. "GRAH!" the teen roared, eye twitching. "Too _late!_ _AGAIN!_"

Tucker and Sam just glanced at the raging teen for a minute.

Sam turned to Tucker, "Should we get the Speeder?"

Tucker turned to Sam, "Yeah, we should."

Harry's eyes glowed a furious red as purple rings surrounded him. As Clockwork he leaped into the sky and shot off.

"We really should."

* * *

**_ONWARDS TO THE AUTHORS NOTE!_**

_Well I know **one** of my friends shall be happy with these chapters...'cuz Dani's here~ Hahaha. Nothing else to say at this moment so...yeah. Deal. Sorta. Bye!_

_Edit: beta'd by FlyonSilverWings_


	14. Chapter 13: Fruitloop Is A Fruitloop

**Of Lightning Bolts, Half-Ghosts & Time Pieces  
**_By Twin Kats  
**Beta'd by FlyonSilverWings **_

_Chapter Thirteen  
_**Fruitloop Is A Fruitloop**

Clockwork's whole form was shaking furiously as he flew as fast as he could after Danielle and Plasmius. How could he have been so _stupid?_ He knew Danielle wouldn't listen no matter what! She was so blinded by her pure affection for her 'father' that of _course_ she'd ignore the growing connection between them! Of course she'd follow his orders!

And now Plasmius had his _brother_! Plasmius! The one that brought out all the darkness _in_ Daniel in the first place!

"I swear," Clockwork growled, voice wavering ever so slightly, "I swear I'll get you back before he can do _anything_ to you, Daniel! _I swear!_"

* * *

"All secure," the Maddie program uttered and Vlad sighed.

"Dad?" Danielle asked, raising green eyes towards the older ghost. Vlad placed a gentle hand on her head, patting it twice, before making a shooing motion.

"Go up to your room, Danielle," he said, calm as can be. "I have things I need to discuss with your...cousin."

Danielle blinked once, twice, and floated up through the ceiling obediently, her gaze thoughtfully facing downward. It is because of this position that she ran right into Clockwork's chest.

"Ah!" Danielle's eyes widened as she raised her head up to stare at the blue-skinned boy. Clockwork's eyes narrowed.

"Danielle," he said, voice oddly dark, "we need to talk. _Now_."

Danielle eeped as Clockwork's gloved hand wrapped around her wrist and dragged her off.

* * *

"Ugh, ah, egh! Let go of me!" Danielle growled, tugging on her hand in Clockwork's grip.

"No."

"Why not? What'd I do to you?" Danielle whined, pulling on her wrist more.

"Shut _up_ Danielle!" Clockwork snapped and she quieted. He took in a deep breath, trying to calm himself, and pushed her down onto the bed. His eyes narrowed for the briefest of seconds and Danielle jumped as her hands and feet were surrounded in a blue glow.

"What did you do?"

"I've placed you in a telekinetic hold," Clockwork uttered darkly. "This way you'll sit and _listen_ to me before running off all willy-nilly with no _care_ as to what trouble you're getting yourself into! I swear for all of being Daniel's clone you are _far_ worse than he! Honestly _these_ are the traits Plasmius adores so much? No _wonder_ Dan was _such_ a _peach_!"

Danielle, who quieted during Clockwork's rant, hesitantly asked, "Who's Dan?"

Clockwork scowled, "A very evil, very vile, ghost whom you will _hope_ you never have the pleasure of meeting or so _help me Pariah_ I will do much worse than make a Time Quake!" He grunted and rubbed his temples. "_Lord_ I haven't had this large of a headache since Writer decided the Christmas Poem Around the World was a damn good idea, and that was _last christmas!_"

Danielle wisely kept her mouth shut, eyeing Clockwork with a vague tinge of fear. Clockwork in turn sighed and lowered his hands from his temples, shutting his red eyes tiredly.

"I flew all the way from Illinois to Colorado chasing you two down," he uttered, collapsing against the wall facing the bed. "I'm damn tired."

"Then why don't you rest?" Danielle asked; secretly she was hoping, and this Clockwork knew, that he would fall asleep so that she could get her father.

"And allow you the chance to let that _fruitloop_ get his hands on me? No way!" Clockwork snorted, disgusted.

"Dad is not a fruitloop!" Danielle shot back.

"And he is not your _father!_" Clockwork snapped.

"Oh so Jack Fenton _is_ my father then?" Danielle scoffed. "Yeah _right_. Just because I'm a _clone_ doesn't mean I'll believe that tripe."

"No, you are _not_ related to Jack Fenton either," Clockwork uttered. "Neither is Daniel for that matter."

Danielle frowned, opened her mouth, and then closed it again. Clockwork half-smirked in her direction.

"Good, now let me _explain_," he stated and she frowned but nodded, slowly.

Fifteen minutes later Danielle found herself invisible and intangibly watching as Vlad set Danny up to get his mid-morph DNA, wondering if just what Clockwork had told her was true or not.

* * *

"Argh, ugh," Danny groaned, collapsing onto the ground. "Got...to get...away..."

"Ha!" Danielle roared, shooting up from the ground below. Danny let out a yelp, crashing into the ceiling before falling to the ground a second time. "You're not going _anywhere!_" she yelled, charging up yet another ecto-blast.

"Ahh!" Danny winced, covering his head and _trying_ to summon a shield but it _just wouldn't work!_

"Hah!"

Danny glanced up, surprised to see Clockwork, his teenaged and grungy looking twin brother, crouched above him with a 'minute hand' spinning in front of his outstretched hands, holding up a glowing blue shield.

"You!" Danielle snapped, eyes narrowing in anger. "You lied to me!"

"Danielle, no!" Clockwork growled, out, still standing guard over Danny. "Listen to yourself _and pay attention!_"

"Nuh uh!" Danielle shook her head, glaring at Clockwork.

"Danielle..." Danny groaned. "Listen to Clock. He knows what he's talking about." There was a pause before, "You do know what you're talking about, right?"

"That she's technically a clone of you, that Plasmius wants nothing more than to use her to make his perfect clone of you, and that she's being tricked by that fruitloop? Yes, I know what I'm talking about, twinny," Clockwork rolled his eyes.

Danny grinned, "Just checking."

"Dad is not a _fruitloop!_ And you're lying!" Danielle growled out, raising for another ecto-blast.

"Danielle, stop!" Danny pulled himself to his feet, leaning slightly on Clockwork who glanced at him worriedly. "Look, you're not mindless like those other clones, but even now you're turning into ectoplasmic goop!"

Danille glanced down and shrieked, dropping her ecto-blast. She stared up and Danny, _pleading_.

"Then why won't you give daddy your mid-morph DNA? He'll fix me!"

"No, Vlad _won't!_ You're just a mess he _won't clean up!_" Danny snapped and Danielle's eyes narrowed.

"Then I'll prove you wrong! Hya!"

Clockwork's eyes went wide as the blast hit Danny dead center, knocking him into the wall and blasting Clockwork into a dresser.

"Danielle, no!" Clockwork coughed out, standing up wobbly. He collapsed a second later, his legs refusing to hold his weight. "D-Dammit!"

Danielle just glared, stuck her head through the floor for a second, and then Plasmius made his way into the room.

"Good work, Danielle," he murmured, patting her on the head. Danielle grinned up at him and shifted back into her human form.

"Thanks Dad!"

Plasmius just smiled and headed over to Danny, bending down to pick him up. Clockwork growled and forced his legs to work, thrusting a hand out and firing off a blue ghost ray. It went wide.

"Don't you dare lay a hand on him!" he roared.

Vlad arched an eyebrow, "Danielle? Who is this?"

Danielle shrugged, "Danny called him Clock. I don't know who he is otherwise, just that he's a lying jerk!" she stuck her tongue at him.

"Danielle..." Clockwork growled, softly, but the distraction cost him. The next thing he knew was getting a face-full of one of Vlad's red, _hot_ ecto-blasts. Then nothing but darkness.

* * *

Clockwork awoke to find himself strapped to some sort of table, vision hazy and limbs feeling oddly _weak._ He groaned softly and tried to look around but that just made the room swim dangerously.

"Hm, you certainly are an interesting one, aren't you?" he heard someone mutter.

"Wh-Where...?" Clockwork groaned slightly, trying to focus his vision long enough to get a sense of just where he was, _why_ he couldn't feel Danny - sense Danny - _something!_

"Temporary memory loss? How intriguing!" the person from before uttered. "Having trouble focusing your vision, boy?" was asked a second later.

The voice was oddly familiar now.

"No matter. I'll deal with you soon enough; for now I must take care of my little badger...sleep, why don't you?"

"_What...?_" Clockwork rasped and suddenly the haze cleared and his eyes snapped open wide enough to see Vlad Plasmius walk off, leaving him strapped to a table slightly out of sight. He blinked and tested his restraints, wincing as he did nothing more than cut into his wrists.

"Well this sucks," the teenager muttered darkly, slumping. He blinked again as he caught sight of his own, pale, legs. "Where the hell are my _pants?_"

* * *

Danny came to just as Danielle shut the door on one of Vlad's chamber things that supposedly would get his mid-morph DNA. The elder halfa then walked up from some out of corner spot and smiled down at the clone. Danny felt sick.

And where was Clock? He wanted to ask but fear bringing his twin to Vlad's attention. That...just wouldn't do.

"FRUITLOOP WHAT DID YOU DO WITH MY PANTS?"

Danny blinked, "That...was Clock," he muttered, and then glanced at Vlad who looked suddenly...flushed? "What...is Clock yelling about?" Danny asked.

"Ahh, you know that ghost?" Vlad asked and Danny could see the 'must stall' look cross the other halfa's face.

"Know him?" Danny laughed, figuring on playing Vlad's game. "Of course I know him!"

"Oh? Well...how _well_ do you know him, Daniel?" Vlad questioned.

"GUH! You FREAK! GET AWAY FROM ME!"

Vlad winced.

"I know him enough to know that he _doesn't_ like you," Danny said cheerfully, "that he _doesn't_ care that I'm a halfa, and that he's _very overprotective_ of me."

"Hey! Don't you dare come near me with that - WHAT ARE YOU DOING? DON'T TOUCH ME!"

"Oh really?" Vlad asked and Danny could see him sweating nervously.

"What are you doing?" Danny narrowed his eyes.

"YOU FREAK! GIVE THOSE BACK!"

Vlad turned his head away, "Trying to give him back his pants," he muttered, eye twitching. He sighed and floated out of Danny's sight and over to where Clockwork was struggling futilely against his bonds.

"Keep your freaked out _clone_ the hell away from me!" Clockwork snarled.

"Really, boy, is that any way to treat your _host_?"

"Host my ass! If this is how you treat your guests I _never_ wanted to be on the guest list!"

"They you shouldn't have come here, should you!" Vlad snarled, stepping up close and gripping Clockwork's chin tightly. Clockwork's struggles increased.

"Don't touch me!" he snarled and Vlad increased the pressure on the teen's jaw.

"Shut your mouth, _child_," he sneered and Clockwork froze, eyes going wide and posture stiffening.

Then, he _screeched_, and blue energy similar to Danny's green ghostly wail flung Vlad backward. The bindings that kept him attached to the table _snapped_ and Clockwork fell to the ground. There he actually retched and dry heaved, shuddering.

"I said," Clockwork coughed, "don't touch me."

"Clock? You okay?" Danny yelled.

Clockwork grabbed his pants from nearby and quick phased into them before stumbling into Danny's light of sight and smiling weakly at his younger twin.

"Never better," he uttered and then glanced at Danielle. "You mind letting him out? I think...I'm gonna crash...right here..." Clockwork face-planted onto the floor.

"CLOCK!" Danny yelled, eyes widening in shock.

Plasmius growled.

"You little _brat!_"

It was then the cavalry arrived.

* * *

_**Onwards to the Authors Note!**_

_Hmm...I __**was**__ going to finish this chapter but...oh well. Next chapter then. Enjoy~_

_Edit: beta'd by FlyonSilverWings_


	15. Chapter 14: TickTock

**Of Lightning Bolts, Half-Ghosts & Time Pieces  
**_By Twin Kats  
**Beta'd by FlyonSilverWings **_

_Chapter Fourteen  
_**Tick-Tock**

Three things happened.

First Vlad flung himself at Clockwork, yanking the teenager up by the hair and punching him right into the wall. This was promptly followed by an ecto-blast and several sharp kicks to Clockwork's chest which, if the punch hadn't done it before, jerked Clockwork back into the land of the wakeful.

Second the Specter Speeder containing Tucker, Sam, and Ghost Writer crashed through a wall, showering debris everywhere. One of the pieces of debris hit Vlad in the back and knocked him away from Clockwork. This however didn't seem to really deter him as he was back to punching and kicking the teen with murderous red eyes a second later.

Off to the left one of the chambers had broken and snapped. A clone was bubbling down into ectoplasmic goop slowly, it's dying screeches blocking any _good_ sound out.

Of course Clockwork drowned out those screeches a second later when a loud _crack_ and a _shattering_ noise filled the room. Then Clockwork just _screamed_, back arching and red eyes _glowing_. Blue energy poured from his very body, flinging anything nearby into right chaos as the room fluctuated.

The third thing to happen was that Danielle didn't even get a chance to hit the release switch. Danny just _jumped_, phasing through the chamber and transforming into Phantom within seconds. He was by Clockwork's side in even less, cradling his now slightly twitching, but silent, brother in his arms.

"Clock?" he asked, placing a hand on the blue-skinned ghosts face. He felt numb. "Clock what...what happened? Are you okay? Clock?"

Clockwork heaved up and _lurched_, his body arching as he coughed. Green ectoplasm trailed out of his mouth and Danny's eyes grew wide, almost frantic.

"Clock!" he shouted, shifting the other so that he wouldn't choke. "Clock what's going! Please speak to me!"

Tucker and Sam exited the Specter Speeder with a dizzy Ghost Writer who stumbled around for a few seconds, mumbling something about 'Time' and 'pizza' and 'Randy sleeping with Technus' although that last part had him nearly retching and twitching and muttering 'did NOT need to see that' over and over again.

"Dan-ielle?" Clockwork rasped, body still spasming.

Danielle transformed and floated over to Clockwork, worrying her lip. She didn't mean for any of _this _to happen! Sam and Tucker in the background clipped the Specter Deflector on an equally dizzy Plasmius, concerned.

"Clock?" Danielle asked, glancing at Danny who was glaring at her slightly. Danny shifted both himself and Clockwork away from Danielle.

Clockwork's hand twitched, there was a sharp sound of broken glass being _shifted_ and then the teenage ghost raised his hand and grasped Danielle's wrist.

"Don't," he ground out through wheezing and pain filled gasps, "leave...me...alone."

Danny glanced down at Clockwork, "Clock, what...?"

"Healing...slow..." Clockwork grunted, his back arching again. There was the sound of broken glass shifting again and the ghost wheezed. "Don't know...what happened...Daniel...need...help." Clockwork coughed again, spitting up more ectoplasm.

Danielle dropped down to the ground, her fingers entangling themselves into Clockwork's fishnet, tears falling down her cheeks.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered. "I didn't...I didn't know he'd...I didn't mean to..."

"Danielle, shush," Danny muttered, pulling the girl into a slight hug, still cradling Clockwork on his lap.

Ghost Writer took this moment to finally right himself (Vlad still dizzily out of it) and promptly stiffened in horror. He immediately raced over to the trio of ghosts, gently prying Danielle from Danny's side and shoving up Clockwork's shirt.

"Writer what-"

"Oh my lord Pariah on smoking high..." Writer gasped, fingers not touching yet still tracing the fractured cracks and shattered pieces of the glass from Clockwork's Clock. "Why isn't this _healed_?"

"Don't...know..." Clockwork gasped, arching up and eyes going wide. His whole body shook, more ectoplasm dribbling out of his mouth. Danny was frozen in horror and Danielle was similarly shocked. "Hit...something...needle...need help..._now_...Writer!"

Ghost Writer raised green eyes to stare into Clockwork's own red before he nodded, slowly.

"Danny...mini-Danny..._don't_ let go of Clockwork, whatever you do," Ghost Writer uttered, stepping back. "Sam, Tucker, get that speeder started. We're going to be racing out of here _fast_."

The world flashed magenta.

* * *

Jack and Maddie Fenton were _furious_. They were all ready to yell and _punish_ Danny, Sam, and Tucker as the Specter Speeder came at _dangerous_ speeds back into the Lab screeching to a grinding halt just inches before the door. Instead they were rendered speechless as Writer leaped from the craft, slashed his hand diagonally at the wall and then vanished into the newly made portal with not even a glance in their direction.

Sam and Tucker then carefully brought out a floating piece of cement that had none other than Phantom cradling a blue-skinned teen gently with a second and a mini-Phantom clutching said blue-skinned teen's arm tightly, tears trailing down her cheeks.

"It'll be okay, Clock," Phantom was murmuring, pushing gray-ish blue hair that was beginning to border on black out of the teen ghosts pained face. "Writer's gone to get the answers. It'll be _okay..._"

Clock just smiled weakly before grimacing, coughing up ectoplasm again. The girl sniffed and tightened her grip on Clock's arm.

"Don't die," she cried. "Please, please don't die. I'm sorry, I should've listened, you were right and I-"

"Dan-ielle," Clock rasped, "I'll be...fine. Sleep. Stabilize, okay?"

Danielle sniffed again and curled up against the ghosts stomach, tears still falling down her cheeks. Clock shifted one arm, jerkily, to brush against the younger Phantom's hair.

Maddie recovered first.

"Wha-What is going on?" she demanded, furious. Phantom's head jerked up.

"Sorry man," Tucker mumbled as he and Sam shifted the floating rock in place, "but Writer _insisted_ this was the best place to take you three."

Phantom glanced at Tucker and Sam before mumbling something that Maddie and Jack couldn't make out. He turned towards them, green eyes narrowing in warning.

"Touch me, Clock, or Danielle and you won't like the consequences," he snapped. "I really don't care how you feel towards me but if Ghost Writer has a reason for having them take us _here_ then he has a reason and I'll trust him. Just..._stay_ away from my brother."

Maddie blinked. "Brother?" she asked, hesitant.

The sound of broken glass shifting caught her attention and the teen in Phantom's arms arched up, gritting teeth and cutting off a yell quickly. A few drops of ectoplasm dribbled out of his mouth, joining what looked to be a previously dried trail.

"What was that?" Maddie gasped, eyes widening.

Phantom shot them a glare before returning his gaze to Clock, worried, "That was a bad one..."

"Check the...Clock," Clock gasped, eyes wide. His fingers briefly tightened in Danielle's hair before he patted her head gently. She murmured softly in sleep and shifted.

Phantom again glanced in their direction before he shifted slightly, moving his hands to gently pull up Clock's shirt and fishnet. Maddie could see the form of some sort of doorway, and a lot of broken glass, on the teen's chest. Phantom obviously winced.

"I...you know I don't know anything about Clock's, Clockwork," he muttered, "but...it looks bad. Really bad. And it's not getting any better."

Clockwork grinned, shakily, and said, "But it _was_ worse before we left, yeah?"

"Yeah..."

"Then I _am_ healing. Slow-Slowly," he grunted. "Too...slowly."

Phantom nodded, slowly.

Maddie was cautiously making her way towards the trio, able to spy more of the door and broken glass to see an actual _clock_ interface-like a grandfather clock-positioned in the boy's chest. She gasped.

Phantom's head jerked up again and he raised a glowing, green fist in warning. Clockwork's own purple, fingerless gloved hand came up and wrapped around the other teen's, tightly.

"No...they can...help, yeah?" he muttered. Phantom's head shot towards Clockwork in shock.

"But Clock they..."

"Help?" Clockwork gasped out, turning red eyes towards Maddie. "Please?"

Maddie nodded, her motherly instincts coming into play as she swallowed tightly. She wasn't, however, very optimistic.

* * *

It had taken a while but with Maddie and Jack's help they were able to move Clockwork off of the floating hunk of cement and instead onto an actual bed (which Phantom sat upon, cradling Clockwork's form in his lap; Danielle remained curled up against Clockwork's stomach, asleep) and hooked him up to an IV drip with fresh ectoplasm and other minerals flowing into the teen.

Feeling secure for once Phantom drifted, leafing his fingers through Clockwork's hair which had turned black and was now, slowly, becoming a white-ish blue color.

It was to this scene that Writer stepped out of another portal, a book clutched tightly in his hands. He glanced at Maddie and Jack before racing over to the trio's side.

"I've got the book, Clock," Writer uttered, placing a hand gently on Clockwork's cheek, "but I need you to tell me the _time_. I won't be able to find what it is without you. You _know_ this."

Clockwork's red eyes opened and he murmured, "Three thirteen, oh six, thirty one, twenty oh six."

Writer quickly flipped open the book, the pages whipping by on mental command as he trailed his fingers along Clockwork's cheek. He gave and nod and gripped the book as it fell open to a page and began speed-reading.

"Want this...erased...Writer," Clockwork gasped as Writer read. "Not...supposed to be...in human hands. _Bad_."

"I know," Writer murmured, eyes darting along the page. He quickly stepped over to the chemicals Jack and Maddie had, ignoring their protests as he began pouring and mixing, eyes narrowed in concentration.g

"Should never...get past...my defenses...not...like this-grah!"

"Breathe, Clock, I'm working as fast as I can," Writer stated, hands almost _blurring_ as he mixed, stirred, shook, and and weighed whatever concoction he was creating out of the Fenton's items.

"At least...I have...us four?" Clockwork gasped. "You...me...Randy..._shadow_?"

Writer stilled.

"You remember that?" he asked, whirling around green eyes widening. "You...know that now?"

"Y-Yeah..."

"_Pariah_ Clockwork you know what that means!" Writer snapped, racing back to the concoction.

"Y-Yeah..."

"He won't survive it if you go back now," Writer uttered, moving _faster_ with this new knowledge.

"Trust you..."

Writer snorted.

Jack, Maddie, Sam, and Tucker watched as the older ghost checked and double checked the vial he had in his hand with the book before nodding. The book snapped shut and he turned, marching back towards Clockwork and placed the vial against the ghosts lips. He tilted the teen's head back and poured the concoction down his throat.

Above Phantom tightened his gree, opening one green eye to glare at Writer worriedly before it slid shut and he drifted off again. In his arms Clockwork arched and there was a second resounding _crack_ like back in Plasmius' lab before the younger ghost collapsed, unconscious.

Writer tugged up his shirt, fingers tracing the now whole glass of the casing for the clock before nodding. He stepped back and looked at the book in his hand. With a mere thought it _burned_ away into ash by ghostly fire. Then, and only then, did Writer collapse into a nearby chair and sighed.

"At least now, you silly Time Master, you'll be able to live on in this life instead of rejoining with your other self," Writer murmured, "and forcing us all to go through hell as you grieve for Phantom. _Honestly_."

* * *

_**ONWARDS TO THE AUTHORS NOTE!**_

_Yeah. If you hadn't guessed it by that last scene, Clockwork as a __**halfa**__ was __**dying**__. Knowledge as Clockwork the ghost-yet-not was bleeding through. Clockwork as a halfa is not supposed to know what the 'us four' means. Let alone that there is even 'four'._

_This __**will**__ change things. How you'll have to see._

_And no, I'm not explaining what Clockwork was speaking about. It's one of those...things that are meant to be ambigious and an author uses to convey an idea but not convey one at the same time. I will say this however:_

_I __**have**__ decided how this will end. I've written out the damn __**Epilogue**__ already. It is __**nowhere**__ near that point. There is a lot more to go._

_Yeah, you guys did guess it. We're gonna be in for the __**long haul**__ people. Deal._

_The numbers Clockwork spewed by the way do mean something. See if you can guess? It should be damned obvious. However it's not overly important._

_Thus ends 'Kindred Spirits' episode. Sort of. And now we'll be escaping our __**evil**__ creation of actual seriousness and returning to our regular scheduled humor._

_I hope._

_Enjoy!_

_Edit: beta'd by FlyonSilverWings_


	16. Chapter 15: Getting Back To Normal

**Of Lightning Bolts, Half-Ghosts & Time Pieces  
**_By Twin Kats  
**Beta'd by FlyonSilverWings **_

_Chapter Fifteen  
_**Getting Back To Normal**

Danny, Danielle, and Clockwork slept rather peacefully in the Fenton's lab for a good few hours before any of them awoke. The first of all three to awake was, unsurprisingly, Danny who quickly checked on Clockwork in worry. Next was Danielle who freaked out for a moment but Danny quickly put her fears to rest.

Clockwork blinked open red eyes and stared at the lab ceiling for a good moment, wrapping Danielle, whose emotions finally came crashing down, in his arms. He sat up and gently rocked the younger girl, murmuring soothing words. Danny carefully phased himself out from behind Clockwork, gently setting down on the floor.

"You sure you're okay, Clock?" he asked after a minute. Clockwork just smiled, softly, patting Danielle's hair in a soothing motion.

"Not the outcome I was Seeing originally," he murmured, "but it all worked out for the best."

Danny just nodded slowly, placing a hand on Danielle's shoulder. The young girl pulled herself from Clockwork's grasp and launched into Danny's arms instead, sobbing out continual apologies and how she should've known and listened and _oh god she really didn't mean to almost get them killed!_

Danny, who was rather surprised at the girl's actions, hesitantly wrapped his arms about her and began consoling her. He was a bit confused about his own feelings for this clone of himself and briefly found himself jealous of how Clockwork just _knew_ what to do.

Clockwork smirked, hopping off the table, and patted Danny on the shoulder, "Welcome to parenthood."

Danny gaped.

* * *

"Clock what do you mean parenthood? C'mon, you're gonna tell me, right? Clock? Clocky? Clockwork?" Danny kept asking, his tone getting slightly more hysterical as the four ghosts made their way up out of the Fenton's lab; Jack and Maddie Fenton had strangely been absent.

Writer had been collapsed, asleep in a chair, and was promptly awoken by a simple shake of Clockwork's hand and a murmured something in his ear. He'd blearily followed after the trio as they left, Clockwork in the lead. Danny still had a grasp on Danielle, who was walking along side him face buried in his stomach, shoulders still shaking. Danny's arm was around her and his other hand continually petting her hair not-unlike Clockwork's earlier actions.

He'd even taken to pausing to murmur consoling words to the girl. It was weird.

Clockwork was just smirking softly to himself. Really, his brother was right clueless. Then again so was he up until the almost dying part. The ghost frowned to himself; quite a lot of things had become suddenly apparent in that instance. A _lot_ of things.

He'd dwell on them later, however. For now he had to speak with a certain family (and really he was wondering just where Fred and George where-surely it wasn't taking _that_ long to clean up the cafeteria? And what about Sam and Tucker? They were worried too, right? Something fishy was going on...) yes, he had to speak to a certain family about a certain little girl and her extenuating circumstances.

That and about attacking his brother. Really, it was getting annoying. The least he could do was quash any animosity between them. Or start quashing at least. Clockwork had no doubt it would be quite the long haul before this family was remotely _close_ to being fixed.

Sometimes he really disliked being all-knowing, despite not being _truly_ all-knowing just yet.

"Clockwork, I'm not kidding. What did you mean by parenthood? Please tell me you were joking? I can't be a parent! I'm only fourteen! Clockwork!"

However, Clockwork realized, it was times like this that made up for it. He chuckled.

"Cloooock!"

* * *

Fifteen minutes later Clockwork was fed up trying to hunt down the Fenton's. Instead he moved Danielle and Danny to the couch, carefully set Danielle up so that she was curled against Danny who protested at first but immediately went back trying to console the hysterical girl. Writer just rolled his eyes and plopped down on the other end of the couch.

Clockwork then proceeded to make them all food and telekinetically floated the stuff into the living room.

"Danielle," he murmured, kneeling down before Danny and the hysterical child whose face was _still_ in his abdomen, "Danielle, child, you need to eat."

Danielle didn't say anything in response, instead continued her shoulder shaking and hysterical words of apologies. Clockwork sighed, removed Danny's hands, and pulled the girl's face away from Danny's stomach.

Danielle immediately silenced, blinking reddish green eyes up at Clockwork with horrible tear stains down her cheeks. Clockwork sighed again and gently stroked the girl's hair.

"Danielle you need to stop this," he uttered to the silent child. "Yes your actions _did_ end up with more pain in my and Danny's end. Yes you _should have_ listened to what I said and to what your own _head_ was telling you - what your _instincts_ were telling you. However that does _not_ give you the right to mope about and be hysterical. Chin up, mini-Phantom; I'm _fine_ now. Not as I was, certainly, but _fine_. And you, like all growing children, need to _eat_, am I clear?"

Danielle nodded slowly, sniffling once, and accepted the food Clockwork offered her.

"Sorry?" she sniffled again and Clockwork patted her on the head.

"You've more than made up for it now," he stated, "so just cheer up, okay? There's going to be a lot of changes here soon."

Danielle nodded and began to eat. Clockwork handed Danny and Writer both food before settling down on the couch next to Danny (he was directly in between both Writer and Danny) and began munching on his own. Danielle shifted off of Danny's lap and curled up between both Danny and Clockwork instead. Eventually, after eating her fill, she drifted off.

Danny was rather surprised by the whole thing and asked, "How did you _do_ that?"

Clockwork rolled his eyes, "Physically she may be twelve, mentally is a whole other matter. You think _I'm_ terrible at staying in one age physically...she's going to be _worse_ mentally. At least until her bond with us settles enough."

Danny cringed.

* * *

Jack and Maddie Fenton entered their home to find Phantom, the mini-Phantom, Clockwork and Writer sitting on their couch eating food, sleeping, and watching television. Clockwork was actually the first to speak up, not even looking in their direction.

"Put the toys away, sit down, and be quiet. Writer exercised a lot of his energy to do what he did yesterday and deserves this nap. Danielle needs the sleep to stabilize. _We_ in the meantime have a lot to talk about."

"We do?" Phantom frowned.

"You mean to tell me you didn't once wonder why we stayed here after waking up?" Clockwork turned towards Phantom, arching an eyebrow.

"Err...well, you were pretty confident and ah...I trust your judgement and um...you really scared me yesterday..."

Clockwork rolled his eyes, "That's a no then, isn't it."

"Yeah..."

Jack and Maddie cautiously placed the ecto-guns and other 'toys', as Clockwork had put it, down before settling down in the chairs just opposite the couch. Clockwork clicked off the television and fixed them both with a stare, fingers gently carding through Danielle's hair as he looked at them.

"I am Clockwork," Clockwork uttered, "and I want to thank you for yesterday evening. You...your actions helped prolong me long enough for Writer to get what he needed, otherwise I know I would've been too far gone to even help him when he asked."

Phantom frowned, "So _that's_ why you said to let them help..."

Clockwork snorted, "I'm beginning to wonder if you're really my brother, Daniel."

"Hey! Don't call me that!" the other pouted. "And what's that mean, anyway?"

"Oh never mind..." Clockwork sighed, rolling his eyes heavenward.

"You're...welcome?" Maddie spoke up, hesitant to break the banter between the two ghosts. "We just...what was that, yesterday? Can you tell us? And...I'm sorry we're just nervous around Phantom, is all."

Clockwork laughed sharply at that, "Of course you! You haven't been lead to think otherwise, have you?" Maddie opened her mouth and then shut it as Clockwork grinned.

"You were dying," Jack uttered after a minute. "Ghosts can die?"

"Ghosts aren't the same as you know them," Clockwork groaned. "We are 'spectral entities' really. Living matter of energy. Some of us were once human that contained enough of a certain trait that we could essentially ascend into another form after the human shell passes. Those that were once human do often retain their memories of their life previous. Many, however, do not. Even more otherwise were never human to begin with and instead were 'birthed' in the Zone."

Jack and Maddie's brows furrowed in thought.

"The entities you tend to see are the ones that were formerly of this world," Clockwork continued. "At least a good majority of them. They come back here because they just can't let it go, despite it not being their home anymore. Some of them are fueled with rage at being scorned and attempt to fight back at this helpless world. However that is a minority. A good majority are just misunderstood and want to either be left alone in peace, or just want to alleviate boredom. You _do_ have quite the entertainment here that we don't get in the Zone. However this is not what I wanted to talk to you about."

Clockwork frowned for a minute, trying to gather his thoughts, before continuing, "You need to cease attacking Daniel."

"What?"

Clockwork sighed, "I have my _reasons_ for asking this of you," he frowned, "and I would appreciate it if you followed with thim. In fact I have a few things to ask of you as a whole, and I will grant concessions for you in return. Just _listen_ to me."

They silenced upon Clockwork's heavy, _old_, gaze.

"This life that I live currently is not mine," Clockwork uttered, "or well, it is but isn't."

"Boredom," Phantom snorted and Clockwork hit him across the head. "Ouch! Jerk."

"Right now I am split into two consciousnesses," Clockwork stated. "One part of me exists in the Zone with all of my knowledge and memories. This me should not _ever_ be able to know even a fraction of what I know. However, circumstances have changed that." Clockwork paused to gather his thoughts again before continuing. "Because of this, I can access more of my natural abilities at greater lengths. This is why I have things I feel I must ask of you, for a better outcome for _both_ worlds."

The two Fenton's nodded slowly.

"Daniel is not your enemy," Clockwork told them, gaze sharply shutting down any protests. "In fact he has done much to protect this town. The inclusion of Danielle into our family as thrown the dynamics however through a blender. Danielle is...different."

"How so?"

"She's a clone."

* * *

Clockwork quickly proceeded to lay _everything_ down, or as much as he could without giving away Danny's secret. He explained that Danielle was created to be a clone of Danny (Phantom), however she obviously was not male. He also went on to explain that Danielle was one of _many_ clones, all that destabilized. In fact she herself would destabilize if they left her to her own devices.

He didn't elaborate further beyond that. Instead he moved on to say that while she _was_ a clone of Danny she was also a little _human_ girl. That floored the Fentons and caused Danny to glare at him heatedly. Clockwork grabbed hold of Danny's head and quickly speed up time around them, sharply explaining just what he was doing before returning time to its normal speed and speaking to the Fenton's once more.

He said that her human half needed tending as much as her ghost half and that's where the Fenton's came in. He explained that their son Danny, who had been in contact with him before through Harry, was spending _quality bonding time_ with his twin (Danny was trying hard not to snicker; quality bonding time indeed!) and was already appraised of the situation for the most part.

He basically told the Fenton's he wanted them to raise Danielle. Of course Clockwork wasn't going to let them flounder with her and explained that she wasn't going to be stable in any form for a while - at least mentally - until such a time as she finally _stabilized_ completely. Which, with the help of Writer, shouldn't take longer than the summer.

However Danielle would have to spend ample time in her ghost form as well, with Danny and Clockwork around her. This would help her stabilize her energies too. The whole sitation at least explained why Clockwork wanted them to stop attacking Danny. Of course to sweeten the deal he offered Danny up as the sacrificial lamb.

"You can perform _safe_ and _unharmful_ tests on Daniel to better understand how spectral entities differ from the ghosts you seem to think we are."

Needless to say Danny didn't take that well but the conversation continued on; the details were hammered out (such as Clockwork must be present for each of these tests) and they were all on their merry way.

Finally.

* * *

_**ONWARDS TO THE AUTHORS NOTE!**_

_Yeah. Filler chapter. Doncha love them XD Anyway next chapter should definitely have all the humor back and a fun little visit to...well, let's just say Danny's gonna learn something even bigger about his brother next._

_You know. That Harry hasn't mentioned. At all. Really._

_...right. Bye-bye!_

_Enjoy~_

_edit: beta'd by FlyonSilverWings_


	17. Chapter 16: Pranks Awry

**Of Lightning Bolts, Half-Ghosts & Time Pieces  
**_By Twin Kats  
**Beta'd by FlyonSilverWings **_

_Chapter Sixteen  
_**Pranks Awry**

It had taken two weeks before things finally settled back down. Fred and George were horrified to find out that Harry had almost died and they, too busy in their _own_ world, didn't know.

They would never have known, either, what happened to Harry if he had died. It really drove home just how far they had drifted from the boy the saw as their younger brother after arriving at Amity. The swore to not be so distant (or disregard his requests) ever again.

Harry was half wishing they'd decided to grow _further_ apart instead because they had taken role of 'eccentric doting uncles' to the max concerning Danielle. They _spoiled_ her. Granted Danielle herself was doing much better after two weeks of settling into her new home. Once a day she went out in ghost form with Danny and Harry and they spent quality bonding time.

Mentally she wasn't as unstable anymore, following the growing stability of her ghost form. She would only range between an eight year old, a ten year old, and her correct age of twelve. It was much more manageable to work with.

Writer wasn't too pleased when Harry contracted him as Danielle's tutor but he too saw the girl as a neice and so begrudgingly figured he'd help her be up to snuff for school.

Danny meanwhile bemoaned the loss of his room. He did recognize that it helped Danielle in becoming more stable but it was annoying. Still sacrifices were to be made, they all knew this. Sort of.

Well Clockwork did, everyone else was still sort of realizing it.

The truly best thing to come from this entire set up was the Fenton's _lessening_ hostility towards Phantom. It was through the tests that they did learn _much_ about 'spectral entities' that they previously didn't.

Such as they had working organs like a human; they had to use to restroom and eat but it wasn't necessarily required for nourishment. More of a pleasure than anything (although they did apparently gain _some_ form of energy increase through food though negligible it was) meanwhile their _main_ source of nourishment was different.

Harry, as Clockwork, had even admitted to them that his form of 'nourishment' was connected to _Time_. He was, after all, the _Time Master_. Danny's nourishment apparently came from being an ass.

At least that's how Harry later put it. Really it was just the fact of _doing_ something that nourished the young halfa. Whether it be commit chaos, saving a person, fighting, or even annoying a person. Through all of that he gained his needed nourishment. It actually made a lot of sense to Harry in the end, although he never elaborated why.

Writer would just frown thoughtfully if brought up.

Later, in privacy, Danny asked what nourishment Dan got and Clockwork confided that Dan got nourishment from one of two ways. The first was sex and the second was killing.

"Is that why...he was so strong?" Danny asked softly, after a while during the conversation.

"What?"

"I..." the young teen frowned and then shook his head. "Never mind."

Harry let the subject drop, figuring it had something to do with what Danny _Saw_ when he almost died. After all Harry had already discussed with Ghost Writer what he had seen with the Time Quake the young Clockwork had caused when his Clock cracked. Briefly Harry had wondered on what Vlad _Saw_ but shoved it aside.

He just didn't _care_.

_(Vlad__** Saw**__ something horrifying, even he would admit. It was so horrifying that he'd thrown up as soon as he'd regained control of his mental faculties. In fact he'd become extremely recluse in the following weeks, terrified of a monster that was trapped in a thermos and half thinking Danny was a bloodied, severed head)_

Yes, Harry didn't _care_.

* * *

Harry frowned as Danny turned off the television in his room. Danielle was out playing with Fred and George while Harry decided upon spending quality time with Danny and his friends. Currently that trio was laughing uproariously at what had just finished being reported.

"I don't approve," Harry uttered to them, eyes narrowed. "This _is_ going to bite you in the ass. Then again..." Harry was now smirking, "...that _was_ bloody brilliant! Okay, okay, I approve. Trying to be all uppity as a human is _hard_."

"It was good, wasn't it," Danny grinned, slinging an arm around Harry's shoulder. "And the best thing? It'll keep that old cheesehead off our backs for a whi-"

The wall busted inwards, knocking the teens to the floor. Coughing Harry pulled both himself and Danny up and promptly turned towards the disturbance.

He closed his eyes a second later at the blindingly obvious _white_ suits.

"On second thought, despite being the son of a Marauder, I disapprove again," he told Danny shortly. Danny winced.

This was going to take some time to clean up...

* * *

"_No!_" Harry snapped out yet again, eyes narrowing at the men. "I do _not_ see a warrant from you lot and thus you are _not_ allowed to step foot in this place!"

"We are," the Agent uttered, eyes narrowing.

"Well I bloody say you aren't, you damned yank!" Harry snarled. "Not unless I see that bleeding warrant!"

"This is the Fenton house, am I correct?" a second Agent questioned.

"We've been _over_ this..." Harry groaned.

"If it is then it falls under the Ecto Control Act, Subsection B Paragraph Five," the first Agent uttered again. Harry's eyes narrowed. "Besides, we're with the Government."

Here Harry smirked, "And _I_ know the President."

They paused before continuing, "That doesn't matter, it falls under the Ecto Control Act."

Harry growled low in his throat and turned away, dragging Danny and his friends with him, Sam giving the Guys in White a backwards shot before following after them.

"The Ecto Control Act still calls for a warrant!"

* * *

Harry huffed as he stomped outside and into an alley, swiftly changed into Clockwork and flew off. Danny followed after with Sam and Tucker each in a duplicates arm; thanks to Clockwork's presence he actually _learned_ how to duplicate.

The teen didn't take long until he reached a secluded roof where Fred and George were spoiling Danielle rotten. Ironically it was right next to the hotel that Vlad Masters was staying in.

"Fred, George, phone, _now_," Clockwork said, sharply and both teens jerked up. Fred rooted around in his pockets before tossing a phone to Clockwork. The phone glowed blue as Clockwork promptly took control of its movement.

Red eyes narrowed as the device flipped open and a number flashed on the screen. He twitched his hand and the 'speaker' button lit up. The roof was filled with the sounds of the phone ringing after that moment. Clockwork then glanced at Danny who was staring at him and then the building next to them.

"After I finish this call," he told his brother with a smirk and Danny grinned. "It'll be a family excursion."

Danny's grin became feral.

_"Hello, you've reached the-"_

"Please put me through to Madam Secretary," Clockwork interrupted sharply.

_"A-Ah Sir, right away!"_

"You're...popular," Danny muttered. Clockwork's lips twitched into an even _bigger_ smirk.

_"Hello; I didn't expect you to actually __**take up **__our offer, Clockwork,"_ a woman's voice sounded.

"Hm, yes, well...shit happens, Madam Secretary, I'm sure you understand," Clockwork uttered.

_"Crudely put, but yes. May I say you seem more stable?"_

Clockwork rolled his eyes, "Yes, I found him, yes he's listening to this conversation. With his friends. And those red heads. And his clone."

_"Clone?"_

"You do not need to know-_Danielle put that down!_" Clockwork shot the girl a glare and she pouted but set the pole down. "Sorry about that Madam Secretary. However I didn't call for pleasantries."

_"I figured as much; so what can we do for you today?"_

"I'm calling in that favor."

_"Of course. Which one?"_

"Which-oh Lord Pariah you want me to _choose?_"

_"Out of the five hundred and fifty five favors we owe you? Yes."_

"Vile woman, fine, the Tuner favor," Clockwork snapped.

_"Hm, yes, that's...a pretty large favor?"_

"Of course, and as long as you abide by the rules I set down we don't need to have it become a further problem."

_"Very well. What is you ask?"_

"I need a meeting with the President."

_"About?"_

"The Guys In White."

Danny watched Clockwork's conversation with steadily growing wide eyes. Tucker and muttered something in a shocked tone that Clockwork even had favors _owed_ let alone that the world knew his name!

_"The what's in what?"_

"Oh bloody-woman! They're a thorn and I need to speak with the President about it don't question it!" Clockwork snapped, rubbing his temples. "You'll get the full scope at the same time anway."

_"Spoilsport,"_ the woman muttered and there was a slight clacking of keys before, _"There. All set up for tomorrow."_

"Transportation?"

_"...you're milking this aren't you?"_

"What can I say? I'm mostly human right now," Clockwork grinned. "Danny will be coming with me as well, of course. So will Danielle so I'll need transport for three."

_"Honestly if we didn't know who you were or if the President wasn't a descendant of Merlin this would be a big problem...fine, transport for young Mr. Harry Potter, twin Daniel Fenton-Potter, adopted, and girl Danielle set up do I need anything else sir? Will you be appearing as well? Or is this just a human meeting?"_

"Honestly? I don't know which. And there is _more_ around? I thought the bloodline dwindled."

_"Well seeing as you are on vacation..."_

"Oh shut your mouth you bloody yank," Clockwork frowned, eye twitching.

_"Pleasure doing business with you!"_ was the cheery response.

"And you, Madam Secretary," Clockwork snorted and the phone flipped shut and flung itself, still glowing blue, at the Weasley Twins.

Danny was still wide eyed when Clockwork floated up to him, nodding to Danielle who shifted into her ghost form and joined them, gleefully glomping Clockwork and wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Family time!" she yelled, laughing.

"You're explaining what that was all about later," Danny stated and Clockwork just smirked. "So what are we gonna do to the fruitloop?"

"Bare his naked ass to the world."

* * *

_**ONWARDS TO THE AUTHORS NOTE!**_

_Well...this went differently than I planned. Originally the Guys In White were gonna entirely trash the Fenton's house and while they were doing that Harry was going to angrily phone the Secretary of Magic and convince her to get him to speak with the President._

_And something about the Government repaying for damages._

_Not...this. And definitely not Clockwork being so well known. Stupid Clockwork. He never does what I want him to._

_Then again Clockwork giving the magical people the knowledge to make a Time Turner was too good an opportunity to pass up...yeah. Stupid Clockwork. You're working against me and I know it._

_**grumbles to corner**__ Oh well, enjoy._

_edit: beta'd by FlyonSilverWings_


	18. Chapter 17: Forgotten Secret

**Of Lightning Bolts, Half-Ghosts & Time Pieces  
**_By Twin Kats  
**Beta'd by FlyonSilverWings **_

_Chapter Seventeen  
_**Forgotten Secret**

It was a day later and Jazz was avoiding pretty much the entirety of the Phantom family, like she had been off and on for the past two weeks.

Danny still hadn't forgiven her for how she treated Danielle that first day. Harry was just indifferent, although he _did_ tell Danny that he had 'great mothering instincts' to which the younger halfa turned bright red and fled the room.

However Harry, along with Tucker, Sam, Fred and George, was trying valiantly not to curse. Vlad was turning out to be worse than a teenager at comeback pranks. Why he was even pranking Danny back was a mystery, but Harry wasn't too pleased.

He didn't want to see Danny naked. Ever.

"Thank god," Danny muttered to that sentiment, snagging a towel and disappearing down the hall to the locker rooms.

_I was beginning to wonder, Clock,_ he thought towards his twin.

Harry just snorted and buried his face into his arms. Danielle was staring at the spot Danny formerly occupied with wide eyes and an open mouth.

_You'll tell me why later,_ was the muted response. _Just get dressed; we have a limo to catch._

Danny groaned, reappearing fully dressed as he dropped down by Harry. The entire group ignored the laughing and chattering teenagers around them.

"A limo, Harry, really?" the younger muttered darkly.

"We're meeting the President, twinny," Harry rolled his eyes. "Of course we're going in a limo to the airstrip _and then_ we're flying to Washington DC. Danielle, don't eat that."

Danielle pouted but put whatever it was in her hands down. Danny offered her a sugar-free candy instead which she gobbled up right away.

"Still don't get why," Danny muttered, scooping the little girl into his arms. Harry likewise stood. The trio pretty much ignored their friends who were gaping after them as they walked out. "I mean it's not like the Guys In White would destroy the Ghost Zone, right?"

Harry's silence was answer enough for Danny who promptly cried out, "Oh you're kidding me! Why would they do something as insane as that?"

"They're idiots, what do you expect?" Harry arched an eyebrow, smirking slightly.

"Now I'm _glad_ we're meeting the President, if _only_ to save myself the headache!"

Then the trio was gone, leaving the entire cafeteria in silence.

"Were they speaking about the President of the _United States_?" Dash breathed.

Sam and Tucker decided now was a good time to flee. Unfortunately Fred and George did not have their foresight and instead actually _replied_ to Dash.

"Well yeah, mate."

Chaos broke loose.

* * *

Vlad was grinning ear to ear as he entered the Nasty Burger which he had just purchased last evening. Two Guys in White were standing by, ready to demolish the place. What a perfect way to get back at Daniel, was it not?

Now where was the little badger...? Blue eyes scanned the room but he didn't see hide nor hair of Danny Fenton. Although there, in the corner hidden by shadows, were two red heads and his friends Samantha and Tucker. Perhaps they knew?

"What do you want?" Tucker frowned as the footsteps neared them. "More questions about Danny visiting the President or-oh, hey Mr. Masters!"

Fred and George looked up from their sullen moping to see Vlad Masters standing there with eyes raised.

"The President?" he questioned. "The President of _what?_ The United States?"

"Harry is going to kill you, mate," Fred uttered, glaring right at Tucker.

"After he eviscerates _us_," George moaned, hitting his head against the table. "Bloody children and their ruddy questions..."

Vlad blinked, surprised, and walked away muttering softly, "He _is_? How did _this_ happen? And where the hell was _I?_"

The Nasty Burger was promptly evacuated and demolished but Vlad didn't have that sense of _accomplishment_ from it anymore. Not when Daniel was nowhere to be seen and didn't even have a chance to _banter_ with him over its destruction. Or he to gloat! It was...a hollow victory.

Somewhat sullen the multi-billionaire made his way back over to the quartet and asked, hesitant, "When will Daniel be back?"

"Tomorrow for sure," Tucker replied, eyes narrowing. Fred muttered something about being 'terribly and horribly murdered in our sleep!' at Tucker's words.

"Right...tomorrow," Vlad murmured, walking away without his normal luster. He glanced at one of those giant billboards nearby announcing the candidacy for Mayor and suddenly he grinned. "Yes, tomorrow...mwuahahahaha!"

Tomorrow he'd announce his candidacy for Mayor.

* * *

The plane ride to DC was actually rather normal. Despite being in a first class plane that Danny just knew would put Vlad's own jets to shame he wasn't all that giddy about it. Oh sure it was an experience but really Danny just wasn't in the mood to enjoy it. No, he was actually fairly tired and was currently napping with Danielle curled up on his lap.

Harry was dozing as well; planes always made him sleepy.

* * *

Madam Secretary glanced at the Security Detail at the airport and nodded to herself. Everything was set up and going smoothly. There had been a _few_ hiccups a couple of hours ago but those were cleaned out quite nicely. The fact that those hiccups showed up _then_ was only testament to the fact that this whole thing would run as predicted for the most part.

Seeing as the plane was taxiing now Madam Secretary made her away across the airport and onto the tarmac, a team of Security Detail following after her silently. They waited patiently as the craft came to a full stop and the stairs touched down. First to come off of the flight was none other than Mr. Potter himself, followed by Mr. Fenton-Potter and the little clone girl who had her arms wrapped around Fenton-Potter's midsection. Her face seemed buried there.

Mr. Potter did not so much as glance back at his twin, instead walking right up to Madam Secretary and bowing at the waist.

"Madam Secretary," he murmured. Madam Secretary gave him a deep bow of her own head in greeting.

"Mr. Potter," she intoned. They both straightened. "If you and your accompaniment will follow me and the Security Detail we can make our way to the limo."

Mr. Potter nodded in agreement, glancing back and motioning for Danny to follow them before murmuring to Madam Secretary, "Lead the way."

They started off.

"Normally," Madam Secretary began as they walked, "we would have you take the Floo from the Floo Gate's however as we are not sure how exactly Floo would counteract your...unique conditions we figured it would be better to travel the muggle way...is there something wrong, Mr. Potter?"

Mr. Potter blinked and waved a hand dismissively, "No, no...but please, call me Harry. It's just that...in the thick of things I may have ah..._forgotten_ to tell Daniel a few details about my life."

Madam Secretary raised her eyebrow, "Which details exactly, Mr. Potter?"

Mr. Potter winced, "The...magic...details?"

Madam Secretary nearly tripped.

* * *

"Why are we going to a hotel first, Harry?" Danny asked, his fingers carding through the still sleeping Danielle's hair gently.

"Well...we can't me the President in our current attire," Harry stated, glancing at the window that separated them from Madam Secretary and the driver.

"Oh..." Danny frowned, slightly. "So we're going there to change?"

"And spend the night; we'll get back home tomorrow," Harry agreed, practically refusing to look at Danny which the younger of the two was finding odd.

"Alright, _what_ is wrong now?"

Harry winced. "What makes you think something's wrong?"

"You're fidgety," was the blunt reply. Harry winced again, tugging his lip between his teeth. A second later he sighed, ran a hand through his hair, and then raised rather serious green eyes to stare into Danny's baby blues.

"I forgot to tell you something about my life that was _veeeery_ important," Harry uttered. Danny arched an eyebrow. "Um...I'm a wizard?"

"A what," Danny's voice was almost monotonous.

"A wand waving, magic wielding, wizard?"

"Magic."

"Ah...yeah."

"Anything else?"

"I'm bloody famous for surviving the night our parents died and a mass murdering psychopath that puts Hitler to shame wishes to do me in?"

"Of course."

The car was eerily silent as the brothers stared at one another. Harry chewing on his lip and Danny's gaze was just _dead_ and yet inward at the same time. Then Danny sighed, shifting himself until he was next to Harry. Within a manner of seconds he had Danielle placed by his side, his fingers looped with Harry's, and was sitting on his older siblings lap with his head tucked into Harry's collarbone.

"Does this mean you don't hate me?" Harry asked, burying his face in Danny's hair.

"I don't hate you," was the muffled response.

The rest of the ride was in silence.

* * *

_**ONWARDS TO THE AUTHORS NOTE!**_

_Guh, yet again I had to change this chapter title, mostly because what I had planned ended up getting shifted another chapter over. Right so the magic reveal went kind of anti-climacty but hey...it might come back to bite him later. I dunno right now, Clockwork's screwing all of my ideas to hell and inserting mushy brotherly bonding._

_And don't ask me where Writer is. I really don't know. For all I know he could be invisibly following them or staring down at the brothers from the ceiling and writing porno about it. Knowing Writer that might be what he's doing. He's just temporarily vanished._

_Next chapter will HOPEFULLY finish up this re-dux of the episode. I really don't know anymore. Stupid ghosts and they're stupid needs to rework everything I have planned. Really my original plan on the whole Clockwork's Clock Getting Damaged? Yeah, he never really almost died in the original. I think Dan might've gotten a hold of my brain and held it ransom to my fingers forcing that version of events to be typed out instead._

_Because I KNOW Clockwork was not approving of the whole 'let's screw with my Clock!' plan. Neither was Writer for that matter. Both may be a bit of a closet kink but that doesn't mean they like damaging their bodies so bad._

_Dan's a whole nother story. Well, Dan and that Alternate Clockwork that went crazy. Which reminds me I should type out the next chapter for that but...well, Dan is annoying me, see? He's refusing to tell me what happened next. One minute he claims Clock shows up and the next he's claiming no, he gained his sanity back._

_Personally I think he's more interested in fighting Clockwork in the 'Pairing Box' and not the 'Obsession Box' like he has been for the past four days. I think's he's discovered that kissing and molesting a __**willing**__ Clockwork is too much fun. Really, Dan, you'll get quite a lot of that if you just __**continue your damned story!**_

_Guh, muses and characters. They refuse to work sometimes. Maybe I need more ramen...or maybe I __**should**__ just get that FASFA thing out of the way. Maybe they'll cooperate after two days of me ditching them for college prep. Hmm...sounds like a good idea actually..._

_Anyway, enjoy!_

_edit: beta'd by FlyonSilverWings_


	19. Chapter 18: The Apocalypse?

**Of Lightning Bolts, Half-Ghosts & Time Pieces  
**_By Twin Kats_

_Chapter Eighteen  
_**The Apocalypse?**

Danny frowned and raised up the dress shirt before him. He arched his eyebrows at Harry who stood before a mirror attempting to straighten his hair. Danielle was off in the bathroom changing into the clothes that were provided for her.

"Church clothes?" Danny questioned. Harry shot him a pointed look as a response. The older of the two huffed, shot his own hair a glare, and then walked over to Danny. He snatched the shirt from loose fingers.

"Quite the opposite," Harry muttered, flipping the shirt back and forward. "These are the American version of Dress Robes. What you have right now is the undershirt, designed the mirror your 'church clothes' while, in truth, it's actually a lot more comfortable than those ruddy things. Also meant to be warn closer to a tunic."

As he talked Harry quickly maneuvered Danny this way and that until he had gotten the teen's normal white and red shirt off and tugged the dress shirt on. It fell down long around the younger's thighs.

"Now I shouldn't have to toss your pants on," Harry continued as he raised up the garments, "but these are likewise simple." He tossed them into Danny's face. Danny humphed and quickly tugged his own jeans off, pulling on the pants with a short glare. "Next we have this vest; see the stitching? They're runes for protection."

A few sharp tugs and the vest sat comfortably over the shirt. Harry made short work of the three buttons and then stepped back.

"It's about the size of a normal shirt, hangs open at the bottom and the top, see?" the teen continued. "Belt around the waist, like so," that was on even shorter than the vest, "and over all that is this open robe. Looks a bit like a long tail-coat, right? Or a messed up trench…but that doesn't matter. On."

Danny harrumphed and tugged robe on.

"You are vicious," he muttered.

"You haven't met Molly 'Mum' Weasley," Harry grinned. Danny rolled his eyes.

"I'll just go check on Danielle," he muttered.

"Good, cause we already trailing behind!" Harry shot back. Danny flipped him the bird in response.

Harry just laughed.

* * *

The limo pulled up before the White House and Harry frowned. Outside there were practically _hundreds_ of reporters, cameras, and flashing lights. Danielle in the back whimpered softly and Danny was frowning, carding his fingers through his hair and murmuring soothing words at the girl.

"Someone's not playing fair," Harry whispered, his eyes flashing red. A smirk slowly crossed his face. "I think it's about time I stop playing fair as well…don't you, twinny?"

Danny gave a short nod and Harry's smirk grew vicious. Then, the world _stopped_.

Fifteen minutes later time restarted as Danny, Harry, and Danielle calmly walked down the halls of the white house. Madam Secretary racing after them, panting, and a furious scowl set in her face.

"That is cheating," she uttered.

Harry laughed, "Oh I've heard that before but…did you not _think_ before pulling that stunt, Madam Secretary? Daniel has been anonymous, _free_, and you just ruined that. Tell me…why I should not ruin _you?_"

The Madam frowned and said, "You _can't_," haughtily.

"Can't I?" Harry questioned, raising an eyebrow at her. "_Who am I_, Madam Secretary?" At this the Madam found herself stumped. "Can't answer it, can you? For all you _know_ about me you are truly ignorant. I will tell you this: _I am not _a fool, Madam, and you will do well to remember that."

Madam Secretary swallowed heavily, her steps faltering.

"Now don't we have a meeting to get to?"

* * *

President Adam Sandler was as prepared as he felt he could possibly be when heading into a meeting with the reincarnation of his greatest ancestor, Merlin. _Why_ his ancestor wished to speak with _the President of the United States_ was beyond him, but the man did. However all of his preparations could not prepare him for whom he greeted outside the meeting doors.

Two fourteen year old boys and a young girl.

Adam swallowed his pride and sent Madam Secretary a glare, suddenly wondering if this was all a prank. Surely that _couldn't_ be Merlin! He was a _boy_ and obviously a famous one, given the lad's infamous _scar_. Briefly Adam tossed around the idea of _firing_ Madam Secretary at this rate.

Really she brought up the most strangest of requests and now _this?_ Yes, it was a viable option he felt. Now just _how_ to go about it….

Then, of course, the boy spoke.

"Adam Sandler, thank you for taking this chance to meet with me. I'm afraid what I have to talk with you about isn't such a grand thing as you would expect and more about your government creating a nuisance that will destroy an entire _secondary dimension_ and then our own. Now shall we sit or do I have to do something creative to bring your attention _away_ from firing this annoyance known as Madam Secretary."

Adam quickly settled them down figuring he'd address his concerns first. After all _they were on his property._

"I'm afraid I may have been duped," Adam uttered once everyone was seated. "I was led to believe I would be having a meeting with an ancestor of mine, not—"

Harry raised his hand, forestalling any other words as Danny shot him a look.

"Did you forget to mention something _again_ Clock?" Danny asked. "'Cuz why would the President be expecting an _ancestor—_"

Harry scowled, "Twinny I was _bored_ twice in my long years of existence. You do the math," and turned back to the President as Danny mouthed the words and blinked. "I apologize if you feel you've been misled. Let me get this out of the way right now. I _am_ the reincarnation of Merlin, if only because _Merlin_ is the first life I've lived. Otherwise I am _Clockwork_ the Master of Time. Currently however in this form I am merely Harry James Potter and am looking out for both my twin brother, my niece, and life as we know it. Am I understood?"

Danny scrunched his face up and said, "We're so talking later," and proceeded to introduce himself as well. "Danny Fenton-Potter, and this is Danielle my…"

"She's your daughter, Danny," Harry sighed. "_Daughter_."

"Yeah…that," Danny muttered.

From there on the meeting went rather smoothly. Adam Sandler ended up giving forth the promise to cut the GIW spending and repeal the Ecto-Control Act as well as subject the members of that group to a full scale review pending complete eradication of them entirely.

All in all Harry was quite happy with the outcome. Now all he had to deal with was the aftermath of Danny's name being _on the news_. Oh, and the whole Merlin thing but that was trivial, really.

* * *

"_Well that's just terrible that we missed them, Frank, really terrible—"_

"_I know I mean I wanted to see who these mysterious guests were myself! Two fourteen year old boys and a thirteen year old girl? Just __**who**__ are Harry Potter, Daniel Fenton-Potter—"_

Vlad spat out his drink and stared at the screen in shock.

"Daniel Fenton-_Potter_?" he coughed, eyes wide. Quickly, almost in a panic, he turned and fumbled around with the phone placed on the table by the couch. Fingers nearly blurred as he punched in the one phone number he _hated_ to call.

Jack and Maddie would tell him what this meant. They _had_ to. He was their _best friend_! Ignoring the fact that he wanted to kill Jack and make Maddie his wife and Daniel is apprentice _and get rid of that brat who was following Daniel around!_

His fingers tightened on the phone as it rang. Vlad was certain Jack and Maddie would claim the whole thing a mistake by the media. Daniel was their _son_ after all, why would he have the name of that hooligan who had taken to being around the boy more often?

"_Vladdie!_"

He sighed in relief. There was Jack.

"_Did you see the news? Danny got to meet the President! Can you believe it!"_

Forcing his voice to work, and gritting his teeth to stop from _sneering_ at the oaf, Vlad replied, "Yes Jack I noticed but…well I noticed they claimed Daniel's last name as _Fenton-Potter_. I thought I would check in; let you know so it could be—"

"_Oh yeah, Mads and I were surprised too! We didn't realize the media would know the relation either! I mean, haha, we haven't told anybody!"_

"Jack I'm afraid I don't—"

"_Granted Mads and I thought the poor boy was dead, you know? We never expected to see young Harry again after Danny was put in our care! If we had known we would've adopted them both!"_

"A-Adopted…?"

Vlad felt his whole world start to collapse.

"_Well yeah V-man! I thought we told you at the dinner the other day! Harry is Danny's older twin brother! Friends of the family and all that. Didn't Mads and I introduce you to James and Lily? It's sad that Danny and Harry got separated like that I mean, poor boys! And to think—huh, what? Oh Harry doesn't want me to…are you __**sure?**__ I mean it's just Vladdie! Well…"_

"Jack? Old friend?" Vlad frowned.

"_Sorry V-man, have to talk later. Although if you want to know more feel free to come by and ask! What's that boys? Oh right! Ask Harry, Vladdie I'm sure he'll tell you stuff. Got to go, Mads' making fudge!"_

There was a click and then the dial tone. Vlad just stared at the phone in horror.

'_Twin…brother?'_

Yes. There went all his plans. Bye, bye plans.

* * *

A nice nap, a nice flight, and everyone was back home the following day. Harry had successfully fought off the media attention so that the flight home was enjoyable _and_ arranged it so that no one knew they had arrived home until much later. Well no one except for a certain fruitloop but really Harry couldn't stop Vlad from knowing they arrived back.

Although he _did_ try.

Danielle was taken off both Danny and Harry's hands almost the minute they stepped through the FentonWorks door (which as the days and weeks passed Harry begin to spend more and more time there) and was busily chattering away with her uncles Fred and George. Apparently Sam and Tucker were hiding somewhere.

This made Harry suspicious.

Unfortunately there really wasn't anything for Harry to pin his suspicions on except that _they were hiding_. Well that and the Nasty Burger somehow got torn down in the past day. Neither Harry nor Danny were really that upset though as both were still fairly wary of the former building and the future it could bring.

Harry because he _knew_ in that future he went insane and Danny because he didn't want to become a psychopathic killer ghost that just happened to be part Plasmius. Still both teens welcomed the strange quiet and settled down for some more bonding time.

Or would've settled down for more bonding time if Jack Fenton wasn't all geared up and ready to _Vote for Vlad Masters_.

Harry was convinced it was the apocalypse.

* * *

"Twinny we _must_ get to a safe bunker or something in the Zone I _mean it_!" Danny muttered, pitching his voice slightly in annoyance as he flew off towards City Hall. "It's the _end of the world_! No joke! Why else would _he_ go and be a _mayor_?" He rolled his green eyes and muttered under his breath, "I dunno, Harry, maybe it's another plan to make my life hell?"

A slight offbeat pause and then, "But…that's not how his mind _works!_"

"And how would you know?"

"_I know everything—_"

"Yeah but your forgetting _you're only human_ right now."

Danny snorted softly and landed in the basement. Frustrated he ran his hand through his hair and lightly hit his head against a nearby pipe. Softly he murmured, "Sometimes I wonder about you, Harry," and then flew up.

He had a fruitloops ass to kick.

* * *

Harry grumbled softly as he leaned against the side of the closest building to City Hall, gaze firmly affixed to the sky. He had thankfully been able to convince Fred and George to take Danielle off into the Zone to visit his 'hard at work' clone. Although the amount of convincing it took _and_ the look the twins gave him clearly told him they were just as disbelieving as Daniel.

It's not _his_ fault that Vlad standing in for Mayor (or to be voted as Mayor) was one of the signs of the apocalypse! Well to be truthful it was either _this_ or Shadow stepping out of his shadows, proclaiming his undying love to Pariah Dark, and then dancing the hula _naked_. Harry was pretty sure it was Vlad becoming Mayor though.

If only because Shadow _would_ proclaim his undying love to Pariah Dark and dance the hula _naked_ if it were to annoy Harry/Clockwork. The stepping out of the shadows thing was debatable. That ghost _loved_ his little 'mysterious' thing he had going on that those shadows provided.

Well, no, he more loved to annoy Harry/Clockwork and nothing annoyed Harry/Clockwork _more_ than not being able to _know who the fuck Shadow was_. Honest. It probably didn't help that Shadow had existed as long _or even longer_ than Harry/Clockwork himself! Which considering that Harry/Clockwork just _appeared_ one day, out of the blue, and was monitoring _Time_ that meant that Shadow had to exist _before Time_ which should have been impossible.

Although it would explain why his sight refused to work on the maniac.

Harry harrumphed and returned to watching the skies. He was keeping an eye out for Daniel and, a slight sneer crossed his lips here, _Plasmius_.

Stupid kinky perverted bastard.

* * *

The fight was going rather good, right up until Danny put his foot in it and _boy_ did the fight suddenly _reek_.

_What_ had he been thinking? 'Dose of vitamin me' really? For the first time ever Danny was wondering if ghost fighting had caused brain damage. It would explain the odd position he was now in. For one his hands were held tightly by their wrists with one of Plasmius' own. Plasmius was also _staring_ at him, a bit odd but unnerving like. Then there was the fruitloops _other_ hand which was glowing slightly and near his waist.

He had just about gotten through with gloating his big evil master plan (overshadow the population to vote for him) and went silent, staring. Danny was about ready to call the whole thing quits and claim he'd broken Plasmius, somehow.

The thought wasn't as comforting as it should have been.

"Is Harry Potter a ghost?" Plasmius asked suddenly and Danny narrowed his eyes.

"Where did _that_ come from?" the teen scowled.

"Answer the question, Daniel," Plasmius frowned.

"Why?" Danny snapped out. "Seriously that came out of left field, Plasmius! _Why_ are you suddenly asking if Harry is a _ghost?_ Really that's just—_absurd! Stupid!_"

Plasmius rolled his eyes, "Forgive me for attempting to figure out what's brainwashing you and your family then because to be quite honest it is _impossible_ for you to have a twin brother! You are Jack and Maddie's _son_."

Danny grinned, "You caught the newscast, huh? Hate to break it to ya, Vladdie, but it's all true. And _let me tell you_ Har has one _big_, _bad_, _big-brother_ complex. Really bad. If he saw you _touching_ me he'll probably flip."

Plasmius waved the glowing hand dismissively, "It's not like he knows."

Danny arched an eyebrow, his grin growing. Plasmius grew nervous.

"He doesn't know, right? You didn't tell him anything, Daniel, _did you?_" the words spilled from blue lips quickly, terrified that the boy had broken the one _secret_ they shared. The one thing that _brought them together…_

And then he felt the slight chilled heat from behind him and heard an echoey, familiar voice state, coldly, "Why don't you _ask_ Harry instead, Plasmius?"

And then everything _hurt_ and Plasmius' world went dark for a second. When he came too he was human again, collapsed and bruised on a smashed in car roof, and Daniel was walking away with that _Harry_ kid.

* * *

Needless to say Vlad became Mayor and Harry increasingly…odd. He wanted as many protections on Danny and Amity Park as he conceivably could get, so assured that this was the Apocalypse. It was eventually two days later when Writer returned that Harry was finally convinced that no, the Apocalypse _hadn't_ been jumpstarted somehow and that he _really_ should quit watching Supernatural.

Pity, Harry rather quite liked that show and its rather interesting take on ghosts and other magical beings. Plus that character about Death kind of reminded him of Shadow on a bad day which only happened once if he remembered. Which he didn't, exactly. It was still a bit messed up.

He was still too human.

Like everything else, however, life moved on and shifted. While Harry was a bit miffed about Vlad being Mayor (and he still wanted to claim it was the Apocalypse but Writer shot down every theory thereafter) he bucked up and lived with it. The world settled back into the range of 'normal' for the two half-ghost teens.

At least until Fred and George got a very angry letter from 'Mum' Weasley. Then life started going back into the 'hell in a handbasket' phase again.

* * *

_I am so sorry for how long it took to get this out. Really, I am. I ran into quite the struggle with this chapter since its original got deleted on accident. Anyway I hope you enjoyed what little was displayed here._

_Next chapter I'll be popping into the Ghost Zone for a bit with Cedric and clone!Clockwork. Maybe a bit of Vlad 'investigating' and definitely the story of __**how**__ Fred and George Weasley were able to escape their mother and disappear off to the states. Yay!_


	20. Chapter 19: Black Maid

**Of Lightning Bolts, Half-Ghosts & Time Pieces  
**_By Twin Kats_

_Chapter Nineteen  
_**Black Maid**

Clockwork frowned at the Time Windows. What he was seeing within them did not bode well for the timeline. In fact things seemed to be getting worse, rapidly. _Too_ rapidly, actually. It was dangerous for Time to accelerate in such fashions. Dangerous for dates and actions to move _forward_ not by a month but by a _year_ to two _years_ to however many _years_….

Someone was doing something they shouldn't.

"You leave behind too much worry, split like this."

The voice echoed and bounced all around. Clockwork's eye twitched.

"Shadow," he murmured, his hand tightening along his staff. "To _what_ do I owe the pleasure of your visit _this time?_"

The shadows of a cog shifted, twisted, and turned. Clockwork glanced at the corner of his eye in that direction. Said eyes narrowed as those self-same shadows tugged _back_ to reveal pearly white teeth grinning back at him. Swirling, twisting, turning green eyes with odd too-large or too-small pupils almost _danced_ in those shadows. A pale, glowing red line traced down what could have been a cheek in inky darkness.

Clockwork did not like the reminder than line served. Shadow never hid it; in fact he seemed to wear it with _pride_. It could have been because it annoyed Clockwork more than anything but Clockwork was never too sure.

"Can't I just be here to see you, Clocky?" Shadow chuckled, his voice pitching and twisting and contorting. It was distorted one second, deep as can be, and the next it was high pitched and cheery like a child.

Shadows voice was always something of a curiosity to Clockwork, ever changing, ever shifting, much like Clockwork's own physical form.

"You could," Clockwork agreed, calmly, "but I know you a bit better, now, don't you think? You're here for a reason, and it's not to annoy me this time."

Shadow laughed a deep bark of a laugh. The shadows around him writhed with his mirth. He laughed for a few seconds more and then just _stopped_ with a loud, short, "HAH!"

Those eyes shifted and shadowed lips tugged into yet another wide grin.

"You're right, of course," Shadow grinned, the faint sound of a chuckle still in his voice. "I am here for a reason, Clock, like I've been when you went insane. Like I've been when you refused to put an end to Pariah. Like I will be when you remerge into one, and like I will be when you die…."

Clockwork frowned and said, warningly, "Shadow…."

"What is causing time to accelerate is not your concern," Shadow interrupted, coldly. "It has nothing to do with you, or with the living you. In fact you'll learn all about it either way eventually but it's not so bad. Think of it this way: more time to have fun! _However_ you might want to deal with some meddlesome people who are bound to interfere in that which they shouldn't. I suggest sending the little Maid. It's about time she gets to do something more than clean this old place, hm?"

With a lingering chuckle Shadow promptly vanished. Clockwork frowned, tightening his grip on the staff yet again. The wood creaked from the pressure.

That ghost was up to something.

* * *

Harry was enjoying some nice relaxation time with Danny and Danielle as Clockwork in the Fenton's living room. He had just gotten through yet another series of non-invasive tests with his slightly younger twin, all pre-approved as data the Fenton's could collect. All in some shape or form showed that yes, spectral entities were not like the ghosts the hunters thought they were.

Unfortunately as things were want to do when a bit of peace passed by a bit of news appeared that, quite simply, ruined everything.

"Harry—" Fred and George gasped, bursting in through the door. They both paused when the saw the Phantom family and not the Potter-Fenton/Fenton-Potter trio. A blink and a pause from the twins took place before they continued as if the different family dynamic wasn't there.

"Clockwork," Fred uttered, "we just got a horrible—"

"—horrible—"

"—letter."

Clockwork frowned, tugging at his purple t-shirt in slight annoyance. He murmured something to Danny and extracted himself from the couch, shifting the sleeping Danielle more into Danny's arms and calmly hopping over the furniture. The ghostly teen motioned for his two friends to follow him. Danny glanced back as Clockwork left the room and turned off the television.

"What letter?" Clockwork murmured as he, Fred, and George stepped into the kitchen.

"It's from Mum," George stated, pale. "She…she found out that we're not staying with Bill and Charlie—"

"—it's the story we've been using, see? Bill and Charlie have been going with it these past few weeks—"

"—more like a month but anyway! Mum found out it was a ruse and she got Bill and Charlie to spill and well, you know Mum—"

"—she didn't take kindly to it all, not one bit, and now we've got a bit of a problem, see—"

"—make that a _big_ problem in that, well, she roped Dumbledore into this whole scheme and everyone's found out about Danny back home, now, and think that, well—"

"—you've been brainwashed by a Dark Wizard, you know, 'cuz the Potters only _had_ one child, or so everyone thinks thanks to Dumbledore which means—"

"—well, it means that Danny's in some big trouble now and, ah, well we maybe sorta kinda—"

"—have Dumbledore and a bunch of Auror's on their way here," Fred finished, softly. "Oh and the Prophet's been spilling that you're insane since last school year and the claims of Voldemort being back."

"Dumbledore tried to run the story," George added, softly.

"And Mum says hi," Fred murmured.

Clockwork blinked once, twice, and uttered, "Well…fuck."

It was bad news indeed.

* * *

Back in the Ghost Zone in the Clocktower the clone of Clockwork, his eternal knowledge and powers actualized to work while the real him went off and had fun (which he found, as time passed, was quite rude of his true self; didn't _he_ deserve a vacation—oh my, dangerous thought territory there) was staring into the screen, watching that very same scene unfold. It was troubling news for even the clone, in fact, and he found himself contemplating Shadows cryptic earlier message.

It would make sense that _this_ was what Shadow had spoken about, although his apparent knowledge of the situation in question was yet another mark in the 'who the hell is this ghost?' category. No one should have knowledge of future events _but_ Clockwork, and even then they came in either fuzzy bursts or had so many twists and turns that predicting accurately what was to unfold was practically impossible.

Nine times out of ten he did it, though, but that was because Clockwork had _eons_ of practice, really. Practice reading people, reading time, it had grown quite second nature. Still Shadow had a point _if_ this was what he was trying to warn Clockwork about. Considering the whole mess with Pariah Dark a few centuries ago Clockwork knew that when Shadow gave a warning it is best to take it to heart. He just wished the older ghost would quit being so damned _secretive!_ And that he wouldn't be up to something that most probably involved the speeding timeline.

Why else warn him _away_ from that tidbit? And really it just piqued his interest more. Shadow should _know_ that about him by now.

Apparently Shadow didn't.

Cedric lightly dusted the shelves just shy and towards the back of the main viewing room, half an eye on his obviously contemplating Master. A couple months being dead and turned into a 'spectral entity' more commonly known as a ghost and Cedric had become quite used to his role. He had no illusions that Clockwork has _not_ his Master or anything of the sort. No, Cedric now existed to serve the somewhat egotistical, otherworldly, and faintly _idiotic_ yet _brilliantly mad_ Time Master and Cedric had come to accept this fact.

He would serve Clockwork as he was needed. He just really wished that _he_ was not now a _she_.

Cedric having boobs and lacking a vital piece of his naturally male anatomy (okay, it wasn't really 'lacked' just more…hidden away, but Cedric wouldn't learn this fact until down the road later) had left the younger ghost mighty miffed for quite some time. Not anymore, really, as he had fallen into his role quite naturally after a few months of raging.

He'd also discovered some rather unique battle-fan like creations that wouldn't leave him alone. Cedric was certain they were called _tessen_ and he most certainly did know how to use them. That almost made up for the lack of (actually hidden) male anatomy and being forced into a French maid uniform.

Clockwork really got his kicks from strange places.

Cedric glanced back at the Time Master, lips pulled into a contemplative frown as he dusted around the dented Fenton Thermos. The room was oddly quiet. Usually the Thermos would rattle and make some noise and annoy Clockwork enough that the old Time Master would come over and shake the thing up. Usually at those times Cedric had to leave as, Fred and George were right, it looked like Clockwork wanking off. Only with a thermos. And in midair.

It was a disturbing picture for the younger ghost for sure.

"You are oddly silent, Thermos," Cedric mumbled as he floated to the other side of the Thermos and began dusting. The Thermos didn't move. "I don't like it."

"Cedric." Cedric paused in his dusting to show that he heard the Time Master. "I have a job for you."

"Does something else need cleaning?" Cedric asked calmly, ducking down to dust a lower shelf.

Clockwork frowned, titled his head, and then uttered, "Let me rephrase this, little ghost. I have a job for the _Black Maid_."

Almost instantly Cedric stopped dusting. Slowly he set down the feather and lowered himself to the floor, heels touching the strange surface with barely a sound. A sharp turn and then Cedric moved, purposefully, toward Clockwork with soft click-clacks. A ruffle of skirts and Cedric was kneeling, head bowed, before Clockwork.

"What is it you wish of me, Master Clockwork."

Clockwork smiled grimly.

* * *

No later than fifteen minutes and Cedric stepped out of the Fenton Ghost Portal, heels touching the cement floor of the lab, fingers clenched in ruffles and skirts. Both Maddie and Jack froze in their work to stare at this ghost who had just appeared out of the _supposed to be locked down_ Ghost Portal.

Cedric turned his head to regard them, calmly, before stating, "Where can I find young Masters Phantom and Clockwork?"

Maddie pointed toward the stairs. Cedric bowed his head with a murmured, "Thank you," and calmly walked out of the lab.

"Was that a boy or a girl, Mads?" Jack asked, slowly.

"I don't know, but I _would_ like to know how they got through the Portal _when it was turned off_," Maddie replied, just as slowly.

It was one mystery that would never be solved.

* * *

_Hmm. I felt I should have continued this chapter, further, but…that was the best ending place I could come up with. Oh well. Tell me what you think?_

_Yes, OLB is still being continued (I do shorten this story to OLB by the way, for easy reference) and yes, you guys get your first real look at Shadow._

_Before Shadow has been mentioned, and somewhat seen, but he hasn't played any major role. Not really. For references to Shadow…well, here they all are:_

_**Soul-scarring **__– OLB Ch. __**Dead**__, TMI Ch. __**Fed Up  
Insanity **__– OLB Ch. __**Life Moves On**__, __**Kidnapping**__, OaMoT Ch. __**Birth**__, TMI Ch. __**Fed Up**__  
__**Shadow **__ - OLB Ch.__** TickTock**__, __**The Apocalypse?**__, TMI Ch. __**Spawn**__, __**Fed Up**_

_There are most probably millions of more references but these were the most important. The soul-scarring talked of the scar Harry/Clockwork has. Harry/Clockwork only knows the type of power that can go into __**causing**__ a scar like that because he, himself, scarred Shadow in the past. Ghosts normally don't have scars in this, but it is possible. Just highly unlikely._

_The insane thing is a dual in a way. It references Clockwork going nuts in the alternate, possible timeline. Clockwork's ties to Pariah, causing him to be blind to the problems of the Ghost Zone. As well as the Ghost Zones view on Clockwork, and yes all of those points do connect to Shadow somehow._

_TickTock and The Apocalypse were the first true ever references to Shadow by almost name in this story. Otherwise Shadow has been referenced as himself in TMI._

_Yes references to Shadow began early in this story, and as I said there are probably more but I'd have to hunt and nitpick. Those I mentioned are just the ones I remember well. Shadow is and will be a continued ongoing theme in this. However I have kind of underrepresented him and this I plan on correcting._

_If you follow me on Twitter or possibly dA you know a tad more about Shadow (I've ranted enough about him for you to) but Shadow isn't a goodie goodie. He's not a love interest for Clockwork either. Shadow is what you can call Chaotic Neutral. Shadow looks out for Shadow. His entertainment, his enjoyment. Clockwork interests Shadow and provides Shadow with endless amusement. Thus Shadow protects Clockwork and while annoying him does a good portion of things in Clockwork's best interest._

_Only for Shadow, though. If Clockwork were to go __**against**__ Shadow…well, Shadow's cruelty will be raised. Shadow is Shadow, he's mysterious, different, and an enigma. He's also a bit of a psychopath. Keeping him happy is the best way to stay alive and __**sane**__._

_Enough about Shadow, though. You'll learn more of him as the story goes on. Is he the antagonist of this? Maybe so, maybe not. Is he a protagonist, an ally for the main characters? Maybe so, maybe not. Shadow is Shadow, wait and see._

_Oh and Shadow's gender? It's not just 'he' really. Shadow can be male or female, depending on what Shadow wants. Typically Shadow appears as a guy, however, thus the 'he' typically tagged on for gender explanation._

_Onto Cedric. I'll admit I've had this in planning for a while. I made Cedric a ghost pretty much for this reason. He's Clockwork's bitch in every way. If Clockwork was a job, Cedric does it. Cedric is the cleaning lady, meaning Cedric deals with messes._

_Cedric's central to Clockwork's job now as more than the ghost to keep the Clocktower spick and span. What is he, the silly ghost doing for Clockwork? Next chapter you'll find out._

_I hope you enjoyed the briefness. More to come later._


	21. Chapter 20: Plans To Fail

**Of Lightning Bolts, Half-Ghosts & Time Pieces  
**_By Twin Kats_

_Chapter Twenty  
_**Plans To Fail**

Albus Dumbledore was quite happy with the most recent turn of events. Originally his summer had started out like the summer from hell. Especially since Harry Potter as it turns out was the reincarnation of Merlin, some strange half-dead thing, and had almost the entire staff of Hogwarts under oath to not mention his otherworldly affliction. Because of all the unexpected twists surrounding young Mr. Potter Dumbledore could do quite literally nothing by way of manipulating the boy.

It would probably smash back at him thrice fold if he tried. Ruddy 'rule of three' nonsense and all that rot; it was annoying.

For this reason alone when Molly 'Mum' Weasley turned up on his doorstep (Gargoyle step…office step…_whatever!_) fussing about Fred and George running off to Amity Park, Illinois, and that someone was brainwashing Harry into believing he had a twin brother….well, Dumbledore didn't really do anything. He couldn't tell Molly about Harry's twin brother (bound by oath of the boy) and he couldn't force Harry back _himself_ as it was a familial joint decision to vacation there (and possibly _move_ there) which meant….

Get the Ministry involved.

Albus Dumbledore so loved it when the little puppets danced to his tune without him having to actually manipulate them; the running outrage and bitter anger that swept the British Nation made him mighty pleased. The fact that it quelled the distasteful rumors against him and Harry for some time was just an added bonus.

Honestly how was _he_ supposed to know that the Ministry would rather claim him mad than take action against the worst Dark Lord of their century rising again? If he'd known that declaring Voldemort dead all those years would come back to bite him in the arse like this…well, Dumbledore surely would have kept his big mouth _shut!_

Still the Ministry went up in arms about the apparent kidnapping of the boy-who-lived and his family against their will (and when was kidnapping ever _to_ the victims will, anyway, Dumbledore wondered) by a mysterious Dark Wizard that had disguised themselves as the fake twin brother of Harry Potter. They wanted a contingency of Aurors sent off to American soil right away or damn the consequences! Especially when it went public about this Dark Wizard meeting the American Muggle President which just meant that America's community was compromised, really, so no need for that official paperwork stuff! Just storm on down and grab the boy back and all will be well.

Yes, Dumbledore was quite pleased. The fact that he was on the taskforce to retrieve Harry made him doubly pleased. And to think all of this wouldn't have been possible if the boy hadn't made him swear that oath.

Ah, the naivety of youth…how wonderful to take advantage of it again.

Too bad that the minute they get near Potter or his family the shit would, quite literally, hit the proverbial fan and splatter everyone in its vicinity with, well…need it really be said? Pity that Dumbledore's wonderful, happy, week would go up like a pile of dung and a forest on fire. It makes for great amusement, though.

The shadows certainly thought so.

* * *

Ghost Writer cricked his neck lightly as he paused in his much needed note-taking. Since the near-death of the living portion of Clockwork's soul the gifted writer had taken a bit of a step back. He'd had to, really, because the whole situation was a trying ordeal.

Writer didn't know where, or when, but he had grown _attached_ to this living Clockwork. Millennia of years working alongside the Time Master had never yielded such emotions from him before. They had a friendship going, or a kinship, or even justly a friendly understanding over the years. They had their jobs, most often the jobs crossed over into one or the others territory, but they didn't interact all that much.

Sure Writer knew Clockwork better than any ghost, save Shadow who had been around the Time Master far longer than he or Randy, but…this was different. The author in him wanted to spew out the most soppiest and fluffiest of love sonnets; of pure happiness and joy.

It almost physically made him sick.

On the other hand the writer in him also wanted to write out the most dirtiest, raunchiest, and sexiest pure pornographic stories he could.

That just made him aroused which made moving or doing anything really just troublesome. It's not like he could find any true privacy here to get off, anyway!

The author groaned and smashed his head into his journal. Truly he wished that Randy were around. His brother always knew just what to say to make everything just _click_. Randy was the good one at figuring out all this emotional stuff. It's probably why his brother had so many successful dates.

Although Writer wasn't too sure on how the guy snagged Technus, the supposedly unemotional ghost. It was _terrifying_.

"Bee in your bonnet? Cat got your tongue? Oh what _other_ fun little euphemisms are there to use that you love so much little writing ghost?"

Writer jumped at the familiar, twisting cadence. He whirled around, eyes darting, but no one emerged partway through the shadows. Snickering echoed all around him.

"Oh please my little child no need to _fear_ me…."

"Shadow…" Ghost Writer breathed out, still looking around the room. "What…why are you here?"

"Can't I watch the fun?"

"…fun?"

Sharp giggling filled the room.

"Oh my little writing ghost look at you! All grown up now, isn't it cute~?"

Ghost Writer swallowed, on edge. This shadowed ghost always put him on edge.

"And my oh my would you look at that? Seems someone has a crush~ Pity he doesn't like to be touched, hmm?"

"Why are you rhyming?"

"I thought you liked a little rhyme," the shadows snicker-hissed.

Ghost Writer shuddered.

"But…I suppose this game must end…"

The room dimmed, darkening steadily as Shadow's lilting, shifting voice lowered with a bit of sadness. Ghost Writer turned, clutching his book tightly. He swore for a minute that he saw swirling green eyes.

"…after all I've come to collect what you owe."

"What I owe?"

Pearly white teeth flashed for the barest of seconds.

"Oh yes…what you _owe_…."

Ghost Writer grimaced.

_A price for saving Clockwork…._

"….I need you to do something for me, okay?"

The world plunged black.

* * *

From the living room of the Fenton's home Danielle Phantom dozed against her father Danny Phantom. She shifted in her sleep, mumbling a bit under her breath. Not even the reemergence of Clockwork into the room, or the hushed and sharp tones spoken between him and Danny woke her up.

Although in the shadows of the Fenton home swirling green eyes narrowed lightly on little Danielle's form. A slight grin tilted at shadowed lips as eyes curled up in almost amusement. Slinking and slithering around the twin brothers peripheral a tiny sliver of a shadow sneaked its way onto Danielle and vanished.

The shadowed face disappeared.

* * *

_She was confused. Confused and scared and a whole bunch of other things. Mostly confused, though. The world was a strange static-y grey and black, twitching like a bad television set._

_She didn't really know what that was but it's what came to mind._

_Her Uncle Writer was there although he was tossing book after book off of the shelves they were on, skimming titles and text before declaring it junk or unneeded. He looked frantic, scared._

_That scared her most, seeing Uncle Writer so frightened._

"_Grah! Fucking Pa… __**damn **__it! Where the … is … Cremet…ium?"_

_She huddled in a corner, unseen, eyes wide. The shadows of the room—library, she thought, it's Uncle Writers library—twisted and turned and as if held by them a book floated up, tauntingly, before Uncle Writer._

"_Looking…this?" someone chuckled. Danielle could make out eyes and teeth wrapped beneath the shadows, just barely. Uncle Writer whirled around and lunged for the book._

_It floated back._

"_Uh uh uh…want the book must…deal for it," the shadow continued teasing._

"_I don't have…games you…understand me?" Uncle Writer snapped. "Clock…dying!"_

_Danielle whimpered softly. She didn't want to remember her Uncle Clock's near brush with death and she didn't doubt that this was what Uncle Writer was talking about._

_The book stilled its taunting swing as the shadows reared up and hissed, "Don't think…know that foolish…ing ghost? Take…and save him!"_

_Uncle Writer snarled, his hands sparking pink in color. She recognized it, a bit, as his quantum abilities. Pink was the color of his still damaged keyboard, right? After a second the sparking faded out entirely and Uncle Writer sighed, turning his head away. Broken he muttered, "Fine."_

_The book was tossed at him, the shadows vanished, and Uncle Writer left._

_She sat in the corner, whimpering slightly, wondering if this was the end of this weird place or not. So caught in her own confusion she hardly noticed the soft pitter-patter footfalls until a pair of lavender booted feet settled down just before her._

_Hesitant she raised her gaze, wide eyes trailing up the form before her, amazed at the color in a colorless world. The pants – or were they tights? – were a monochromatic black. She felt her cheeks heat slightly and quickly pulled her gaze up past __**his**__ waist._

_They hugged this beings equipment rather well, after all._

_He was obviously well muscled, if judging by his lavender shirt which, if she was seeing correctly settled over a tighter sea-green long sleeved shirt. He had on lavender gloves too and some weird half-cape thing. Well…it looked like a cape and a mixture of those strange coat-tails Danny and Harry wore. Dress robes, she thought her Uncle Harry said they were called? Well whatever it was this being's cape resembled it, in part._

_Her gazed dashed up his neckline, taking in the blue-tinted skin (a ghost, she figured now, nothing else really had __**that**__ shade of blue skin) an almost wide and wry grinning mouth was settled on his face. His nose was small-ish, his eyes wide and his pupils a swirling green. A thin, yet __**long**__, red glowing scar trailed down the right side of his face. His hair was black and curled up in a mess of strange half-flames, the rest falling down gently like normal bangs._

_One of his ears was long and pointed, settling up through his hair. Three earrings were settled into that ear. His left ear almost looked as if someone had taken a big bite out of it nearer to its base and then tore off the pointed, elongated tip. Two studs with a connecting wire settled between the serrated points._

_He knelt down, staring at her, tilting his head slightly as if amazed by her. Like she was something __**special**__, different, __**new**__._

_His wry grin morphed into a wide, amused smile._

_He spoke, "Now aren't you an interesting little thing…." His lilting, oddly ever changing voice was a bit familiar but she couldn't place where she'd heard it before. He reached out a hand and poked her on the forehead, chuckling._

"_I've got my eye on you, little clone Phantom…."_

* * *

When Cedric stepped off of the basement stairs, heels clacking on the linoleum of the kitchen floor and fingers wrapped in his pleated skirts, Clockwork could feel him. When the ghost, wrapped in the blacks and whites of the maid's uniform, strolled purposefully into the living room, blue eyes glancing around Clockwork was already on his feet, fingers tightening around Danny's shoulder.

The green eyed teen glanced up, confused, as Clockwork and Cedric had a sort of strange stare-down. Then Cedric stepped forward and bowed, low at the waist.

"Master Clockwork," he murmured. "Young Master Phantom," he added with a slight incline of his head.

"Maid," Clockwork greeted coolly, fingers digging into Danny's shoulder. "You are here about the current situation?"

Cedric bowed his head lightly in acknowledgement.

"I have been told to suggest that Young Master Phantom and Young Mistress Phantom should seek solace in the Zone's Timeless Lands," Cedric uttered. "At least until all preparations are set up, Master."

Clockwork frowned and murmured, "Randal?"

"Yes Master."

The teen nodded his head in response, glancing down at Danny who was frowning, confused.

"Clock?"

Red eyes slid closed beneath pale blue lids as Clockwork sighed. He ruffled Danny's hair with a slight smile.

"I think Randy's suggestion is a good one, twinny," he murmured. "Just head towards the Clock Tower; Randy's liar will be the one just past that invisible line. You've seen it before…."

Danny's eyes narrowed, "But I—"

"Twinn, _no_." The teens mouth clicked shut. "It's only for a few hours. I'll come get you the minute everything is settled. I _swear_, okay? Please…just take Danielle and go."

Danny closed his eyes and nodded. One white glove wrapped around Danielle's shoulder and shook, gently. He murmured softly into the sleeping girls ear as she shifted, slowly waking. Blearily green eyes blinked open, and for the briefest moments they swirled unnaturally. No one noticed.

"Daddy?"

"Come on…Uncle Clock is sending us on a small vacation," Danny murmured, helping Danielle up.

Danielle yawned, "Where to?"

"We're going to see Uncle Writer's little brother," Danny continued. Clockwork watched as he led the little girl down into the basement. Silently both he and Cedric followed.

"Who is Uncle Writer's little brother?" Danielle asked, looking up at Danny in curiosity.

"Well…I've never met him either, Danielle," Danny stated. "It'll be an adventure."

"Danny." The teen turned to look at Clockwork, ignoring the pair of Ghost Hunters in the lab, watching the entourage. "Keep safe."

Danny nodded slowly.

"Remember, you've seen Randy's lair," Clockwork continued softly. "It's the Observants Tower. Stay there until I get you."

"Of course," Danny replied. "We'll be fine." He smiled happily.

Clockwork almost smiled in response, worry coursing through him. The Observants were in that tower too, and last time they wanted Danny _dead_. Hopefully Randy could keep the teen safe. He nodded to Cedric who raised his hands, a pair of closed tessen clasped between his fingers. With a flick of either wrist the fans snapped out and open.

A blue, swirling vortex came to life where the currently offline ghost portal was. Danny and Danielle stepped through.

The portal snapped shut and Clockwork sighed.

Time to prepare.

* * *

_Right, end of this chapter :D Yes, it was fairly long. And yes…Shadow took over. He got punished for those stunts._

_Spent a day stuck in his women form, Shadow did. Silly Shadow should know not to do such things. Granted apparently I have to punish him some more for some other things…and Clockwork's demanding a harem for that incident._

_Believe me when I say that's…turning out to be interesting O_o Like…really interesting. As in…Ring of Rage = cockring interesting._

_Shadow's shaking his fist at me now. I should probably go. I __**was**__ debating for a while of making Danielle Shadow's love interest but now…? Nope. That's not what's gonna happen with her. She's got another role instead._

_Poor Shadow, so unloved…._


End file.
